TRACK REVIEW: Kate Kelly - The Garden

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Kate Kelly

The Garden

9.6/10

The track, The Garden, is available via:

https://soundcloud.com/katekellymusic/the-garden

GENRES:

Folk; Singer-Songwriter; Jazz

ORIGIN:

Nashville, U.S.A.

The album, The Wonder of It All, is available via:

https://soundcloud.com/katekellymusic/sets/the-wonder-of-it-all

RELEASE DATE:

26th October, 2018

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WHEN I think about Kate Kelly…

a few things spring to mind. I wanted to talk about songwriters who can weave genres together and create that multi-genre palette; singers whose voices have sunshine and power that creates positivity and uplift; recording in charming and perfect locations; Nashville and its endless addiction; recording and writing music that reflects on hard situations and tough life obstacles – I will end by having a look at where Kate Kelly can go and what she can achieve. It is interesting encountering Kelly and what her music stands for. I have featured a lot of different songwriters over the past few weeks and, whilst the music is good, you do not get that much of a spread regarding genre and sound. I have always been of the onion musicians are at their strongest when they mix genres together and stretch things. It is great if you can cement a particular vibe and hone it but I am drawn to those who splice together various elements and colours. Kelly is someone who weaves threads of Jazz, piano; Folk and Pop together into something elegant and enticing. You are drawn into this world and compelled to follow her ever note. I suspect this accomplishment and sense of confidence comes from a varied musical upbringing and a curious mind. Most songwriters want to bring their influences together through their own material but they are not always capable of bringing it all together in a personal and fresh way. I am not sure which artists Kelly grew up around and who she responds to now but you can sense all the different musicians and styles that her ears responded to at a young age. I can imagine Folk legends and 1960s Pop; some great Soul and Singer-Songwriter icons and some of the best modern artists. I am not sure whether Kate Kelly listens to a lot of mainstream artists but there might be a few modern Pop artists in the blend.

Music is a wonderful thing and should be explored to its fullest. Kate Kelly, one imagines, is obsessed by the power of music and how different sounds can strike different chords. There is so much emotion and variety in her music and that is one of the reasons why people are attracted to it. There is that sunshine and endless skip but you get revealing lyrics and pure emotion coming out. She is not someone who compromises her real feelings and hides them in clichés nor is she someone who pours everything out and makes for a challenging listen. There is nothing wrong with songwriters who put their pains onto the page and let their heart bleed but Kelly can balance true revelation with something hopeful and inspiring. She is hard to pin down and define as a musician. There is a lot working away and each of her songs has so much working away and going on. The Wonder of It All is an appropriate title for an album that opens its arm and travels far. You get different impressions and stories and it is as full and rounded a record as I have heard in a very long time. Another reason why I love Kelly’s fusing of genres and multifarious approach is because it remains in the mind longer. If her album were pure Folk or Pop then there would not be as much depth and nuance as you’d like. It is hard cohesively putting different sounds together so they remain focused but Kelly does that. Her record, as I shall explore, is very deep and emotional – you might think the sunny mood hides all of that. I like how the balance is created and how nothing is compromised. One gets to experience the true pains that Kelly experiences and the music provides more relief and warmth. The fact Kelly brings a lot to the party means her music will resonate and appeal to a large demographic and you do not have to work hard to jump inside and be affected by everything she sings.

I shall come back to the music and its variety when focusing on a song from the album but, right now, I want to move to the voice and what affect that has. Think about what Kate Kelly has had to endure and put onto the page – painful struggles and hardships – and it would be easy to score those feelings with a rather downbeat and dour vocal. There are some moments on The Wonder of It All where you can feel that emotion shine and pervade but optimism and hope is the abiding theme. I feel the voice is the most arresting and important part of the music process. It is hard to think of any music that is not really defined and emphasised by the voice. You can be drawn to a lyric or composition but the vocal is what brings it to life and gets it to the ears. I have witnessed a lot of different vocal styles and you get something new from each. Most of what I am reviewing at the moment is either quite hard-hitting (spiked) or have something moody working away. I feel a lot of artists avoid being too cheery and bright with regards their vocals because they feel it compromises the music or sounds a bit too cheery. Maybe that is something they want to avoid; if they are too bright and sunny then will you concentrate on what they are saying?! The sensation and bliss of hearing an artist pour something rousing and cheery into the mix is unexpected and always a pleasure. I am not suggesting all artists go out there and sing about their personal hurt in a cheerful way but there is a lot to be said (of the) emotional and intellectual impact one gets from a bigger vocal. Ballads and emotive performances are great but I think we are seeing less and less positive performances coming through. Music is becoming more introspective and personal and, with that, so much of what we hear has quite a depressive edge.

Before I go on to look at a new subject; I will stay with the vocal and artists that can create joy. Kate Kelly studied Music Therapy and, when she was studying, understood how powerful music could be and the need to celebrate the joys in life. I have been thinking about music as therapy and how potent songs can be to people. Music can touch those with physical disabilities as a means of recovery and fast progression; those with memory issues who can help regain function and focus; others who are depressed and can be helped when they hear music. There are so many different sides to music and it has a huge therapeutic role. Kate Kelly has learned about the different ways music can assist and that need to heal and uplift. Kelly’s music does not lack substance and compromise that for something endlessly positive and spirited. She is able to talk about her path and how her life has shaped and not had to compromise anything. It is fascinating hearing about a songwriter who has gone through a lot but, as her album title suggests, seen the sunshine and pleasures that can come at the other end. She is not going to let things bury her and you feel all of that hope and potential in the voice. A rich and engaging instrument that helps soothe you and nourish the spirit; few songwriters out there have the same prowess and abilities as Kelly. I will follow her career closely but there has been transition and developments since her E.P., New Heartbeat (2016), and today. The Wonder of It All, was written last year and ties together everything that has happened since the E.P. Kelly has changed a lot since then but has not lost the ability to raise the spirits and take music to a more positive place. I am not sure I would be able to keep a lid on my emotions if I wrote my own stuff; it is impressive and commendable Kelly can talk about life frankly and not bring pure negativity to things.

Kelly, before writing her album, saw a lot of negativity circling and realised how music was stepping into a darker and more depressive place. There were and are a lot of artists who are positive and bright but there are so many more that seem to be unable to find a way out of a dark place. That is easily forgiven but Kelly wanted to take a different approach and not follow the pack. You can hear something instantly gratifying and fulfilling when listening to her albums and one of the reasons why I wanted to look at The Garden as a standout is because it seems to define everything about her and bring together all her talents. One reason why we get such evocative and scenic music is because of the locations Kelly wrote the music in. Kelly reflected on a hugely challenging year in 2017 and wanted the earth and her surroundings to bring joy to the record. Rather than write this paen to misery and have a very moody record; Kelly has penned something that inhibits different spaces and locations. One knows where The Garden would have been written and how a particular beautiful space could have inspired that track. From dusty corners to gardens and open spaces; Kelly collated her songs whilst situated in these different spaces –you get so many different scenes, senses and stories. Rather than write in a studio or spend all of her time at home; she has been to these spaces and channelled what was around her. It is fascinating getting into those different locations and bringing the different elements into the songs. Parks, greenhouses and cosy rooms were all used for inspiration and situation. One feels their sounds and secrets through the record and it brings a much more interesting and detailed dynamic to the album. The Wonder of It All is a pure and honest album that opens its arms to the world but does not hide its truths and heart.

Kate Kelly feels the best way to listen to her new album is to curl up with a kitty and a cup of chamomile tea. Unfortunately, my current situation is less romantic so I have had to settle for a cup of coffee and a view of a litter-strewn street…can’t always get what we want! I can close my eyes and envisage what Kelly means and why the tea-kitten combination is the optimal setting. She wants people to step into a dreamlike state and escape from the pains of life. There is a lot going on in everyone’s lives and it can be hard to find time to step away from that and experience something more kind-hearted and pleasurable. So much modern music is steeped in something downbeat and harsh and you need that moment to get away from it and find something nice. Kelly is a songwriter who has a positive approach and can lift the mood of every listener. It is hard reflecting on something tragic or strained and keeping you head level. Kelly does not abandon the seriousness of her past and what she has gone through but feels the best way of presenting this through music is to be a more optimistic songwriter. The vocals hold a lot of the power but the whole experience is one of joy and positivity. How many of us have gone through heartache and depressive moments and been able to keep our head high and smile through it. It is difficult to get that perspective and find the positives in a negative situation. Kate Kelly wants people to find something positive in her music and feel more enlivened and lifted. I have talked a lot about her subject matter and her positive nature so it is about time I end this section by talking about Nashville and how The Wonder of It All was put together.

Nashville is a place that appeals to a lot of musicians and grabs you with its delight and beauty. Not only is it a Mecca for Country artists but there are so many styles and genres being played in the city. I have never been myself but I know what a strong economy there is there. You do not have to be beholden to a certain genre but there is a rich Country music scene. Certainty, if you want to find great Rock and Pop artists then you’ll have choices there but there is something incredibly powerful about Nashville that brings musicians together. Kelly and a group of talented musicians decamped to Iron Oak Recording Studio and started the magic. With Andrew Conner (Iron Oak) producing and backed by musicians such as Andy Cata and Scooter Spicer; it is a group effort but you definitely have the heroine’s voice shining and her leading the way. I am drawn to the music of Kate Kelly because you can hear so much working away and so much musicianship in what she does. On The Wonder of It All; you get so many different scents and sensations projected by the band and you can almost smell Nashville coming through in every note. I wonder, in years to come, where the city will go and how it will grow. I know there is a lot of Country music in the city but so many other styles and being celebrated and featured. There is a community and togetherness that means musicians can easily collaborate and the rich history of Nashville inspires new generations. Kelly hails from Alabama so it is a lot different being in Nashville and experiencing that world. It seems like Nashville is a natural home for Kate Kelly and it is helping her realise her dreams. I feel she can go a very long way and there is a lot more music coming from her. I want to move on to reviewing The Garden but, before then, I would urge people to look back at where Kate Kelly has come from and what she has planned.

There are many treasures on Kate Kelly’s The Wonder of It All but The Garden is a song that stands out. The first few notes have a child-like skip to them and you get impressions of people frolicking in the garden or wildlife in full bloom. It has some funkiness and trip and you are instantly wondering what the song is all about and where it goes from here. The introduction is fantastically evocative and has sensuality to it. There are little flourishes of strings and teasing beats that melt alongside a skipping bass-like sound. The track gets underway with a definite sense of intention and Kelly’s voice perfectly fits into the agenda. The heroine has been wandering and looking for answers. I am not sure whether there is a distinct story but one feels the setting of the garden is a place of reflection and realisation. Many people need a place to think and unwind and you feel like Kelly has come out to the open to find some solace and direction. The music backs her skip and step but you can feel that need to get away from a tense and hard situation. Maybe there is a heavy heart at work but the heroine wants things to improve and lighten. The troubles are being taken out to dry and (the heroine) is wiping her eyes. One gets elements of Soul and R&B in the music. There is something classical and modern that clashes together and gets into the brain. A new, healthier life is ahead and the garden is the place where Kelly goes so she can find some sense of peace. It is great she has that place to go and she can release her tensions. One of the things that create mystery is the secrets regarding the personal troubles. Maybe there are general stresses and problems that have motivated the songs but one feels the daily grind has made its mark. Kelly is someone who can deal with her troubles and make sense of them but still needs that retreat and calm.

I love how the music keeps this uplifting and child-like wonder and gives The Garden a true spirit. Although Kate Kelly’s vocals are not overly-bright and spirited; there is that energy and power that gets into the blood. Our heroine wants to take people to her garden and let them experience what she is seeing. There are few who get to view that sensational scenery and the innate peacefulness; it is a location that can melt all the problems in the mind and make you realise there is brightness out there. Kelly is always about finding the positive and she has found this corner of the land she can call her own and realise her worth. The band back Kelly with a delicate yet powerful composition. It seems the song relates to someone else being down and having troubles. It is interesting but Kelly seems to refer to someone else but, in a way, she might be talking about herself. Kelly is reflecting on the garden and looking at a troubled time for someone – the past year has been quite tense and tough. You know things have been bad but, again, I wonder whether it is less directed at someone else and aimed at her own soul – the lyrics talk about someone going through the motions and trying to find their way. You can hear a horn coming in and giving the song another kick and style. Little details are thrown in that seem to represent all the scents and flowers that bloom in the garden. The call of nature and the interaction of birds seem to be represented in the music; the warmth of the sun and all the colours that come bursting through. Every line seems to reveal a new truth and you get more of the story.

It seems the subject – whether Kelly or a friend – that has this secret and it is quite hard to reveal. This sacred and spiritual garden has a great open gate that leads down a restful and quaint spot. There is no need for a map, as it is said, and the heroine will be waiting there. As the bass steps and there are little flourishes in the background; the heroine calms the song and asks (the subject) to come to the garden. One gets impressions of Jazz and a more romantic and studied performance. There is looseness and playfulness but so many wonderfully tight and exceptional notes. It is a busy and intriguing composition that is allowed to wander and play to the very end. We get to imagine and reflect as the final notes come through. The song has given up some secrets but leaves some others close to the chest. Everyone will get their own impression of the garden – its size and where it is located – but everyone will share that sense of pleasure and hope. The Garden is a tender yet emotive song that hints at some darker times and struggles and you are never sure whether it is the heroine speaking about herself or someone else who could benefit from time in this secret garden. I keep listening to the song and it is great to play it when you need that lift and energy. There are many other great tracks on The Wonder of It All and The Garden is a perfect starting place if you need an introduction to the colourful and varied tapestry that Kate Kelly weaves. It will not take long until you fall for Kate Kelly and are carried away by the sheer vitality, warmth and beauty of her music.

It has been an eventful and hard year for Kate Kelly and a lot of what you hear on The Wonder of It All makes sense of all of that and projects a more optimistic sound. I have talked about the different locations Kelly wrote in and how she wanted to present music that was optimistic and embraced the world. You can definitely feel inspired and lifted hearing her music but look deeper and the lyrics point at something more challenging and hard. I know the album will go a long way and hit a lot of people. The U.S. songwriter has achieved a lot in her career so far and I feel there is a lot more to come. Right now; Kelly will be touring and promoting the record as much as she can and getting it out there. I am confident she will get more fans in the U.K. and it would be great to see her over here. Kelly is making a name for herself in the U.S. and she is marking herself out as one of the best young songwriters coming through. What strikes my mind is how effecting the music is and how you want to keep exploring it time and time again. How many songwriters stay in the mind and linger long after you have heard it? Things are getting bigger and brighter for Kelly and I know The Wonder of It All will help a lot of people out. Projecting forward, and I feel 2019 will be a big year for Kate Kelly and she will go far. I wonder whether she will tour overseas and what is coming along. I know there will be inspiration for more material and she will be reacting to the aftermath of her latest album.

I am a new fan of hers and there are many more out there who need to get behind Kelly and what she is all about. I love the way she approaches music and what she brings to her songs. The positivity and sense of peace you find in the vocals is incredible but the lyrics are personal and do not hide their pains. I have heard few songwriters like Kelly and I feel we all need to spend some more time with her. It has been a great year for music and I am seeing some brilliant new artists emerge. Each one of them has their own stories but none that are like Kate Kelly. I hope Kelly keeps writing and has been motivated to pen something new. Not to rush her but there will be an appetite for future gems and this is a songwriter that music needs right now. Explore all the avenues and stories throughout The Wonder of It All and you will feel stronger, better and uplifted afterwards. Not many records can do that and I feel songwriters could learn a lot from her. The Garden is a track I was compelled to investigate because of its setting and how potent the vocal is. I have listened to The Wonder of It All a few times around and am picking up something new with each exploration. The eight-track record is a deeply personal and inspiring thing that you can play in any mood and any time and feel better when it is over. I will end things now and wrap it up but want people to get involved with Kate Kelly and what she is all about. I love what she does and how she approaches things and how you feel when you listen to her songs. I started the morning a bit sleepy and with a slight headache but after listening to Kate Kelly and The Garden, I am in a much more positive…

FRAME of mind.

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Follow Kate Kelly

Official:

https://www.katekellymusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katekellymusic_

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/katekellymusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/25qvzGCp2vdKFLjVCcypHs

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/katekellymusic

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https://www.instagram.com/katekellymusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPKXeKafhDeoPotwuavb-wA

PHOTOS OF KATE KELLY:

Abby Weeden Photography

FEATURE: Songs to Remember Me By: The Amazing Way Music Unlocks Memories and Can Tackle Cognitive Issues

FEATURE:

 

 

Songs to Remember Me By

PHOTO CREDIT: @4lexmccarthy/Unsplash 

The Amazing Way Music Unlocks Memories and Can Tackle Cognitive Issues

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I have been thinking a lot about memory and why we all…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

cast our minds back to certain times. Maybe we intuitively and unconsciously lock certain events in a different compartment of the brain to be recalled when we need cheering or calming. We edit a lot of memories and try and retain as many of the good ones as possible. I have covered this topic before and examined how music can help those with memory issues or degenerative cognitive impairment. Drugs can help with patients and work wonders but there is something therapeutic about music and how it can heal. I have heard about people with diseases like Alzheimer’s and M.S. who have recalled lost memories because of music. Many sufferers might not know their loved ones’ names but, when a song from their past is played; their eyes are widened and it uncovers so many other memories. This article, written in 2013, reacted to a study regarding the link between music and memories:

“A series of recent studies have found that listening to music engages broad neural networks in the brain, including brain regions responsible for motor actions, emotions, and creativity.

In the first study of its kind, Amee Baird and Séverine Samson, from University of Newcastle in Australia, used popular music to help severely brain-injured patients recall personal memories. Their pioneering research was published on December 10, 2013 in the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @tchompalov/Unsplash

Although their study only involved a small number of participants, it is the first to examine ‘music-evoked autobiographical memories’ (MEAMs) in patients with acquired brain injuries (ABIs), rather than those who are healthy or suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

In their study, Baird and Samson played snippets from "Billboard Hot 100" number-one songs in a random order to people with ABI. The songs—taken from the whole of the patient’s lifespan from age five—were also played to control subjects with no brain injury. All participants were asked to record how familiar they were with a given song, whether they liked it, and what memories the song evoked.

Interestingly, the highest number of MEAMs in the whole group was recorded by one of the ABI patients. In all those studied, the majority of MEAMs were of a person, people or a life period, and were typically positive. Songs that evoked a memory were noted as being more familiar and more well liked than songs that did not trigger a MEAM. This is common sense”.

I think we can all get scared and unsure and there are times when we need some positivity or assurance we are on the right path. Maybe we consciously do it but many of us listen to music we grew up around because we want to be reminded of safer and less challenging times.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @dg92/Unsplash

I am not saying we all get nostalgic but we can listen to a song that is common to many and evoke personal and unique memories. I am not sure why it is but music is held in special reserve and keeps safe snippets of our past. Maybe we inadvertently attach music to memories (or vice versa) and they are in our brain for life. If a particular song is hated or ignored by someone else; to someone like me, they can be precious because they soundtracked a formative or special time. Why do we classify music in a way that we do not with anything else? Why do we hold some songs in the brain and others can slip on by? This story sheds some light:

“The hippocampus and the frontal cortex are two large areas in the brain associated with memory and they take in a great deal of information every minute. Retrieving it is not always easy. It doesn’t simply come when you ask it to. Music helps because it provides a rhythm and rhyme and sometimes alliteration which helps to unlock that information with cues. It is the structure of the song that helps us to remember it, as well as the melody and the images the words provoke.

The technique remains important today. Neuroscientists have analysed the brain mechanisms related to memory, finding that words set to music are the easiest to remember. Just think of one of the first songs you could well have sung: “A,B,C,D,E,F,G, come along and sing with me.” Text learnt to music is better remembered when it is heard as a song rather than speech. Try and remember anything set to a tune and your powers of recall will be stronger: “Now I’ve sung my ABC”.

I have distinct memories of music that are amazing to recall. I cannot remember things I did today and the last person I spoke with but I can project clear images of my childhood when I hear a song played. The Bangles’ Eternal Flame takes me back to one of my first homes and watching the song’s music video through the bannisters. Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun takes me to a Greek island as a child; watching the video on MTV as I was sitting with my family outside a beach-side bar. I listen to The Shamen’s Ebeneezer Goode and can recall a middle-school memory where a classmate played the song on a tape recorder – delighting the class – and I cast my mind back to university when I listen to other songs. It is amazing to think I can hear Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World and that is my first memory of life – a young child hearing it coming from the kitchen; the odd sensation of being aware of music for the very first time. I wanted to re-explore the subject because these memories and this beguiling music-memory romance is one we all share. It is amazing how we can hear songs from particular times and recall them for decades whilst others are lost. I am intrigued why a song such as Rhythm Is a Dancer takes me back to a family holiday at Butlins and sitting in an activity class with other kids – my parents given time to escape and have some free relaxation.

There would have been other songs played in those classes/groups and I would have heard other songs that holiday – this one song is associated with that time and is the official soundtrack. Why does the brain choose to select that song?! The BBC article I have just quoted explains why certain tones and genres stick:

“Notably, memories stimulated by music often come from particular times in our lives. Classic hits take us back to our teenage years and our twenties, much more than songs of later years. Psychologists have called it the ‘reminiscence bump’. It may work this way because this is an especially important and exciting time in our lives, when we are experience things for the first time and when we become independent. Everything is new and meaningful. Later, life becomes a bit of a blur. Music evokes emotion, but the sound and feeling of it, while important ,don’t necessary define your feelings. A sad song could be associated with a happy time, a happy one with a sad one”.

Maybe there is something indiscriminate with the selection process but I’d like to think, on some level, our childhood is about formulating the music we will follow as an adult and shaping us as consumers. We cannot retain all music but we are picking as we go along and those precious memories are the way we get music to stick. Maybe it is not so much about music being stored in the brain so we can recall it years down the line; perhaps we retain certain music as we grow up for different reasons. It is so interesting to dig deep and learn about that process.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @flpschi/Unsplash

I am always amazed how I can recall these memories and, with it, there are smells, sights and quotes. I have problems with memory but can hear a song I remembered from school days and my classmates are there (one who is actually dead is in that memory!) and the smell of paint in the class; the weather outside and what our uniforms looked like. Some of these memories might be unreliable – the weather and why that song was played – but I can picture faces and how I felt back then – maybe twenty-five years or more! There is a science and process our brain goes through with regards retention and musical memory. The article I previously quoted looks at a revolutionary 2011 study:

“In a 2011 study, Finnish researchers used a groundbreaking method that allowed them to study how the brain processes different aspects of music, such as rhythm, tonality and timbre (sound color) in a realistic listening situation. Their study was published in the journal NeuroImage.

Limbic areas of the brain, known to be associated with emotions, were also found to be involved in rhythm and tonality processing. Processing of timbre was associated with activations in the so-called default mode network, which is assumed to be associated with mindwandering and creativity.

"Our results show for the first time how different musical features activate emotional, motor and creative areas of the brain," concluded Professor Petri Toiviainen from the University of Jyväskylä. "We believe that our method provides more reliable knowledge about music processing in the brain than the more conventional methods".

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The reason I adore the 1990s and look back at the decade with fondness is not a hopeless nostalgia trip but because I have so many happy memories from them – most of them scored by music! You might say that is one of the same but I refute that. I will end this article with a memory tape list I included in the last related article: all of the songs hold a special memory for me and, whilst you may hate some/most; each has been included in that playlist for a good reason. You can match the article with the songs and see if you can think of your own memory playlist! Whilst it is true we tend to retain musical memories at a younger age – perhaps fewer songs from adulthood remain – I feel it is an ongoing process. Our memories are sharper as our brains develop so there is a natural period when we will stop retaining so prolifically. Also; as we discover music and have that curiosity; more of our memories will be tied to music. I can bring to mind memories from a few years ago revolving around music but most stored seem to go from the year 2000 back to my early childhood. One might say music was better before that year so it is only natural I would hold them dear. That raises another theory: do we recall certain songs because of their quality or is it to do with the memory itself?! Are we remembering tracks because they are so good and we had never heard anything like it or are the memories they are associated with what we remember – the music is purely circumstantial or plays a minor role?! In any case; music is a potent and powerful thing that can help us keep memories safe and brought to mind at the most random moments.

There are those who suffer from neurological disorders or brain injuries who might have poor short-term memory recall. It is devastating to see someone suffer from memory issues and literally forget their own names! I have, ironically, explored this before but I am drawn to music and how it can help those with memory/neurological illnesses. The fact I am spending time recalling fond musical visions means, in some way, I am curious as to why certain times in my life have been retained – others have been lost and it seems like there is some sort of gating mechanism. Going back to the BBC piece and they investigate why certain songs are retained and how these memories can aid in recovery after brain injuries:

“Cretien van Campen, author of The Proust Effect: The Senses as Doorways to Lost Memories researches the ways different senses act like the madeleine for the French author Marcel Proust in In Search of Lost Time when a bite of the sweet cake takes him back to his childhood with all its smells, colours and feelings. Much of Campen’s work studies the brain, but he makes an important observation about what happens outside of our heads. “Smell differs in that it is a personal memory, whereas there is something very social in our experience of music,” he points out. “Music memories are often shared with peer.”…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @zacfriesen/Unsplash

“…We listen, together. At a party, it is something that we hear whilst dancing or chatting to a friend. We go to concerts or gigs with one another. And it is because music is there as part of lives spent with others – often significant others – that helps make it especially meaningful. Indeed it is often played at or composed for significant occasions, like funerals or weddings, where we witness major life events.

People who have suffered traumatic brain injuries will often have problems with memory. Music can help bring back some of those special moments of their lives that they have forgotten. Those suffering from dementia can trigger vivid memories by listening to music they heard when they were young. Campen also highlights its uses for those with depression. It can assist people to recall difficult parts of their lives that were not necessarily as bad as they had thought. “People who are depressed often feel as if there is a blanket over their lives”. Hearing music, and remembering various experiences, “can help them remember the more complex experiences.” It’s not that these are always positive, he notes, “but they may be more rounded.” Music cannot cure, but perhaps it can help heal”.

Memories and stored reminders are incredibly important when it comes to those whose memories might be otherwise skewed. Thing about someone who suffers from a brain injury or disorder and they might not remember where they came from and who they are.

Play them a song through headphones from their past – whether Glory Box by Portishead or The Beatles’ Taxman – and that can unlock myriad visions, colours and visions. Without verbal prompt or any medication; a patient can unlock this lost world and recall memories in perfect detail. I know it is a short-term release and it only provides a few memories but we have not harnessed how music can help go further – can therapy with music help that process and stimulate the brain? Can music in general advance memory recovery and provide stimulus? This article talks about music therapy and why music is a powerful tool:

“Music taps into our emotions and creates a non-threatening, non-invasive atmosphere where individuals are provided an outlet to be creative, have opportunities for control over their environment, be social, and express their emotions. As a result, children and adults who suffer from anxiety and mood disorders may benefit from music therapy to improve coping skills, reduce anxiety, improve self-regulation, self-esteem, self-awareness, and increase their verbal and non-verbal expression of feelings.

Music provides a structured beginning, middle, and end that is appeasing to our brains! It provides predictable and organized outcomes through steady rhythm, melodic phrases, and form. Structure and familiarity through music can be very soothing and coordinating for the brain. Because of this structure, music therapy interventions can be beneficial for individuals with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder by providing music to encourage relaxation, promote self-regulation, reduce hyperactivity, adjust to changes and transitions, and improve attention”.

One of the reasons I am a music journalist and want to pursue music to its nth degree is because of the way it sticks in my mind and how I can recall certain songs. These natural memories have been carried with me all this time and that sheer power is hard to describe. I can tell you in a thousand words why T. Rex’s Hot Love is so meaningful to me but it might not resonate with anyone else. Our brain chooses to remember particular songs and I am always going to be curious why that is and how why particular songs remain and others do not. Whilst we can recall memories and songs from our past; I wonder whether, in people whose memories are distorted and fractured; can music and therapy help uncover many more lost memories and provide nourishment to the brain in ways we cannot comprehend? Music is a wonderful and evolving artform that can assist with depression, anxiety and all manner of situations. Music can help us through grief and heartache and it can lift the mood in a way nothing can. Whilst it is wonderful we can retain music from years back and recall these childhood times; I am always looking forward as to how those who suffer appalling neurological issues can benefit from music. The memory is a wonderful and complex instrument that can be taken away from us and damaged; it can be blurry and unreliable or, on certain days, clear as a bell! Music is always there; feeding into corners and sinews that we did not know existed; storing away for future days and able to aid and elevate us when required. The mystery as to why we store certain songs and times is always of interest to me but, when thinking of those whose minds and memories are slipping; it is clear that music, future, present and past has a…

HUGE role to play.  

INTERVIEW: LeWis

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Bart Boodts  

LeWis

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I have been speaking with LeWis…

about his new track, Mathilda, and how it came together. He tells me what he has coming up and whether he has any ambitions to fulfil before the end of this year - I was keen to know when music came into his life and which albums hit him hardest.

LeWis talks about the scene in his native Belgium and reveals whether he has tour dates coming; which rising artists we need to get behind and whether he gets time to unwind away from music – he ends the interview by selecting a classic song.

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Hi, LeWis. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello....

My week has been good. Every week is the same though: uni during the day and writing songs at night. I’m very lucky to be living outside the city centre of Liverpool because I love a good night walk around Sefton Park.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m LeWis; a twenty-two-year-old Belgian songwriter. I write Indie-Folk/melancholic songs about life experiences and dreams. Like most songwriters, I started writing songs at a very young age. I hope to move people with my music and lyrics.

Mathilda is your new single. Is there a story behind it? How did it start life?

Mathilda is written about a person I met when I went traveling through Canada. It's very strange how the song came to life. It all started with a bridge part; it had a very nice melancholic feel to it. The first lyrics I wrote were: "The love, the love/The love Mathilda". I think this sums up the song, so I kept repeating the pattern - and then, in one hour, I wrote the whole song.

Do you think there will be more material coming next year?

Yeah. I try to write every day. I’ve done this for some time, so I'm dead-excited to get into the studio and record all my crazy idea’s and sounds. Can't wait to introduce people to my music. I’m hoping to bring out an E.P. around April.

Which artists did you discover young and become involved with?

It’s probably not a big influence on my music but Metallica was my first ever gig. I was ten-years-old. After that, I started exploring more artist like: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen; Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel), Eddie Vedder and Sigur Rós. God Is an Astronaut were a massive influence for my writing cause they made me wanna experiment with instruments and sounds.

Being based in Belgium; what is the scene like there?

I think Belgium has a lot of different genres which makes it very hard to pin down what the scene is like. I think Belgium is a country with a lot of talented musicians. If you really had to describe a scene, I would say Alternative/Synth-Pop.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope to be appreciated in the music industry. I hope to be ready to start playing live in 2019. I’d like to go on tour and start performing my songs all around the U.K. and Europe.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

My favourite memory was having an independent tour in Saskatchewan. I just packed my guitar and gigged for six weeks in all different places around Canada. It was a time when I didn’t have a lot of money, so improvising was the nicest part of travelling around.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Graceland - Paul Simon

Grace - Jeff Buckley

Takk... - Sigur Rós

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Oh; that’s a very interesting question...

I think I would have loved to go on tour with Nick Drake if he was still walking about. My dream is to play in the amphitheatre in Red Rocks (Colorado). A natural-sounding reverb in the middle of nowhere.

PHOTO CREDIT: Geert Pollier

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I think everyone have their own way to become an artist. Just be yourself is the cliché́ one, but I think stick with that.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

At the moment, we are just recording and practicing our live set so we can fire it up in 2019.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Everything Is Imagined

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Everything Is Imagined; Geppetto & the Whales.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Geppetto & the Whales

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Not really. I do try to take my mind off of music but I always end up listening or playing (to) tunes.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

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Follow LeWis

 PHOTO CREDIT: Damon De Backer

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/louisderoomusic/

FEATURE: Language Barriers: Why a Swearing Ban for Wireless Festival Hides Bigger Issues That Need Addressing

FEATURE:

 

 

Language Barriers

 IN THIS IMAGE: J. Cole (who was one of the headliners at this year’s Wireless Festival)/IMAGE CREDIT: SBM832  

Why a Swearing Ban for Wireless Festival Hides Bigger Issues That Need Addressing

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IT seems a bit of a cheek to impose…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Stormzy (who was a headliner at this year’s Wireless Festival)/PHOTO CREDIT: Oliver Hadlee Pearch

a swearing band on any music festival. Wireless Festival is an annual event that attracts the more gritty and raw talent from the music spectrum. This year’s event, held back in July, saw Stormzy, Post Malone and J. Cole play and, for the most part, the event went well without much complaint. It would be horrible stereotypical to suggest a festival that supported Grime and Hip-Hop (and other genres) artists would have trouble follow it about. Even if you are not aware of what the likes of Stormzy are all about; one cannot be naïve enough to think they’re going to be calming walking the stage, acoustic guitar in hand and using the sort of language that would appeal to the most pious and delicate. I will bring a couple of artists in that have reacted to an announced swearing ban at Wireless. I am not sure whether the decree has been signed but it seems like, from now on, there is going to be an expletive-lite festival that does not offend ears. There have been complaints that children have been within ear shot of the festival and have heard the sort of language coming from the stage. The Finsbury Park-staged event does put out a lot of noise and it can be distracting for residents if you want a bit of silence.

Consider how many songs are played across the few days and how many of those contain swearing. One cannot imagine it a torrent of swearing is happening throughout the day and I wonder whether this rather absurd ban hides some deeper issues. Before I speculate as to what actually needs to happen; Suzanne Moore, writing in The Guardian, addressed the situation and asked whether swearing was really a huge issue:

“Well, no. And Wireless isn’t for the likes of me, though I can hear it from where I live. Interestingly, the biggest sound I ever heard coming from Finsbury Park was when Madness played. The ground was shaking. The earth moved for the centrist dads that day.

Now Haringey council in its infinite wisdom has, after listening to protests, agreed that Wireless can continue, but performers have been told they must not swear, make obscene gestures or wear skimpy clothes on stage. They cannot “make any vulgar gestures actions or remarks during the performance, or at any point whilst using an amplification device, including the use of expletives”. To which the only thing you can say is two words made of asterisks”.

Reading those guidelines and proposals makes me scoff somewhat. I can understand the projected noise, if it contained incredibly vulgar and racist language, should be banned were it reaching the minds of children. I realise sound can travel a long distance but how many children and sensitive locals are going to be able to see rude hand gestures and hardly-clothed dancers?! Unless you are on the site and within a certain distance of the stage; this is not something that is going to affect you and people who attend Wireless know full well what they are in for! If you are bringing kids to the festival and then are offended; it is hardly the fault of the organisers, is it?!

 PHOTO CREDIT: @dkravchenko/Unsplash

Sound and noise pollution will always stir discontent and anger but for some but I feel music festivals, in terms of their language and acts, are not as controversial and troublesome as some of the second-hand smoke that is created. Should Wireless, rather than get precious about swearing, focus on the gender and range of acts it books?!

“There are problems with Wireless, and Lily Allen and Annie Mac have pointed them out: the lack of diversity, with only three female acts booked over three days this year. But that is not what this is about. Instead it’s part of the clampdown on what is politely termed “urban” music. Everyone knows what that means, but they can’t bring themselves to say “black”. Under these new rules, the likes of Stormzy and Kanye West would be banned.

Locals have legitimate complaints: there aren’t enough toilets; there are drug dealers and the ever-present fear of gangs – but Haringey cannot boast of its multiculturalism and then come out with this ridiculous ban. It’s the latest in a long line of attempts by the police to stop certain gatherings, which included the infamous form 696, a risk assessment used to stop bashment etc. In my day the government tried to ban “repetitive beats”, which is as mad as it sounds”.

I feel a festival needs to look at the artists it is booking and whether there is enough diversity – rather than look at issues that are endemic with any music festival.

One of the ironies of this swearing band is the fact the Haringey district is not exactly known for censorship and its homogenisation. There are countless languages being spoken and people from all over the world walking the streets. On any given day leaving my flat, I will – almost instantaneously! – encounter someone spitting. I saw a man racially abuse someone the other day and there is severe emotional and psychological poverty. I am not sure about the surrounding neighbourhoods of Finsbury Park but where I live, Wood Green, there is so much disadvantage and lacking financial investment. I have lost count of those who I suspect are drug addicts; there are numerous homeless and most of the population live very close to the breadline. You have to take quite a few stops on the Piccadilly Line past Finsbury Park before you see things improve. Walk around the street and you will hear any number of cusses and expletives casually spat within listening distance of children. Many of the mothers you see pushing toddlers around do it and the problem with drugs and drink is hardly hidden. The smell of cannabis hovers in the air; many people I know have been offered drugs and propositioned; others have been abused and encountered aggression. There is minimum police presence – as you’d expect – and there is a feeling of disconnection and alienation when you live and move around the community. This is all known and stated and, in many ways, there is more safety and security inside Wireless than the neighbourhoods mere feet away!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Giggs photoed at Wireless Festival on 8th July, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Ashley Verse

How far does a swearing ban go?! I guess those at Glastonbury and Reading cannot object because there are few residents nearby and, for the most part, the artists keep it clean. The sort of artists we see at Wireless are telling it like it is and not idly throwing swear words around to shock and as part of their vocabulary. The likes of Stormzy use swearing as part of their music but it is there to project a reality that is all too clear in Haringey. Many of the people Stormzy talks about – those overlooked and living close to poverty – are the ones who will hear the swearing; the ones he is trying to speak to and speak for. One wonders whether the complaints have come from some of the more well-off residents and whether many of them are middle-class. I can see why families would be a bit sensitive to swearing if they lived in areas where things were very sanitised and clean – but that is not the reality we are dealing with here! Haringey is a diverse area of London and it can range from the well-off to the downright deprived. One of the reasons why people move there is because it is more affordable than many parts of London and there is multiculturalism. Part of putting so many different people from different nations together is to project a more united, diverse and cosmopolitan city; one that is not all the same and that sports a richness. Swearing and rude gestures happen all over the place. You can hear youths swearing on public transport and at pubs; business owners during their lunch breaks and older people doing it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: A couple pose for a selfie at this year’s Wireless Festival/PHOTO CREDIT: James Bridle

If you start asking artists to cut the swearing then where does that end?! Swearing is part of your freedom of speech and you could not tell someone on the street to quit swearing because it is a bit unpleasant. Do people like J. Cole get a pre-gig contract that states he is not allowed to get political or use any swearing; he must keep his dancers covered up and can absolutely not slag anyone off! Apply that to other festivals and you’d have people complaining in their droves! I wonder whether there is something quite discriminatory and bigoted about whom they are targeted. Whether it is racially inspired or censoring a type of music that is seen as provocative and controversial. You can ban musicians who are racist and extremist but you cannot go to every festival and ask artists if they wouldn’t mind keeping the bad language to a minimum! Another article from The Guardian shed more light on the problems Wireless carries with it:

“In a complaint made to Haringey council, campaigners said the festival brought anti-social behaviour to the area, with open drug dealing, vomiting on streets and excrement on doorsteps seen in previous years.

Tom Palin, a director of Friends of Finsbury Park, said locals last year “could not get any peace” and he personally knew of 10 people who had moved out of the area as a result of the disruption each year…

PHOTO CREDIT: @lucasquintana/Unsplash 

“I remember last year when Travis Scott was performing and the windows at my friends’ house were shaking,” he said. “You could hear them jangling. The residents were adamant that something had to be done to stop the disturbance.”

The ban, which is likely to be difficult to enforce, was criticised on social media for effectively censoring music and introducing rules that might not be applied to indie and rock festivals.

Councillor Kirsten Hearn, Haringey’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “Wireless festival is a world-class urban event that helps to fund the park the whole year round and makes a major cultural contribution to Haringey. We will work to address these [concerns] with residents and partners at Finsbury Park”.

Although it is sad to see anyone forced to move because of threats or some other action; I wonder whether these events shroud a bigger problem. There are, to be fair, only a few residents who experience things like dog pooh left on their doorsteps and few who will come into contact with drug dealers. The reason I am aggrieved there is a swearing ban is because it is not a catalyst: people are not hearing the swearing from the stage, finding the most constipated dog and waiting for the thing to shed its load!

Drug dealers are not being brainwashed by artists to provoke trouble and throw up; the songs do not glamorise anti-social behaviour and urge people to strike fear into others! Wireless is the premier Urban festival in London and is designed to host artists who are speaking louder than politicians; those delivering potent and compelling messages that are deigned to make you think. In any case; I think fewer people object to swearing as they do the problem with drugs and degradation. Most of the punters who pass through Finsbury Park are law-abiding and do not want to cause any issues. They might have a couple of pints and be a bit loud but they are not hurting anyone and certainly not going as far to target residents! There is this small number who are bringing drugs to the site or dealing nearby. There are others who are drinking excessively and vomiting and generally being obnoxious. I can understand that objection but, as I say, I and many other people live in parts of London where that sort of thing happens every day! If there was a music festival right near me then it would exacerbate things but a lot of the anger aimed at Wireless is about a very small number of patrons. I feel the issue of drugs needs to be addressed and more stringent checks carried out.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mabel (who is shown performing at this year’s Wireless Festival)/PHOTO CREDIT: Ashley Verse

There is the ongoing problem with rubbish and plastic and laws around what people could bring in would help; having recycling bins or fining those who litter. Maybe having extra security around the site and additional police during the festival would help ensure there were fewer incidents. I have spoken to a couple of people who live in and near Finsbury Park and the main issue is the additional numbers and noise. They are not so affected by swearing but the throng of people and how much more litter/noise there is. It is a time of the year when there is a more visible and obvious issue: a typical mass of festival-goers who are not respecting the locals are the areas as much as they should be. It is an issue at all major and smaller festivals but, for most of them, they are situated away from towns or there is a bit more protection. I think banning swearing is avoiding the real issue and not addressing the real threats. By banning swearing, organisers and the council will cure a very minor thing – so few I know have a problem with bad language – and they are turning a blind eye to the mess, litter and drugs. If more money were spent ensuring the site and surrounding areas were left cleaner and fewer disreputable characters were allowed entry then we might be onto something.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @thoughtcatalog/Unsplash

Even if Wireless’ majority are calm and well-behaved, there is always going to be sector that are loitering and want to stir something up. I think the hassle and intimidation that some offer locals is a much more harrowing and eye-opening concern! The artists who take to the Wireless stage would be the first to distance themselves from those who offer nothing but aggression, problems and disrespect. Wireless is not about stirring up a storm and not giving a damn about those around them. The artists are the ones who will be stifled and affected by the swearing band. Consider problems that hounded Wireless a few years back and one wonders whether these sorts of scenes are the ones that should be investigated first:

“Campaigners are calling for a huge north London music festival to be axed after it was beset by rampaging gatecrashers last year.

Residents say the Wireless festival brought "scary" disorder to Finsbury Park in July 2015 and also left the green space in tatters, with the ground looking like a “desert” and strewn with laughing gas canisters and broken glass.

The festival was attended by 50,000 people each day and featured acts such as Drake, David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.

But it hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after large crowds of youths were filmed repeatedly trying to break into the event, with many successfully storming through fences.

One shocking video showed a lone police officer attempting to hold off a crowd of would-be gatecrashers with a baton.

At least eight people were arrested during the course of the event, including for knife possession and actual bodily harm”.

Rather than targeting the artists on the stage; look at those who are causing the real problems and find ways to stop that! Swearing is not the issue and never has been; residents and those who attend Wireless would much rather they avoid riots, violence and drugs than a bit of spicy language! Are members of the council, residents and organisers actually coming together to discuss problems not related to swearing and trying to do something about that?! I am not that sure but I do know Wireless tries to ensure there is public safety and take measures to protect people. One might say banning swearing is not a huge thing and how many people is it going to affect? If it helps make the residents happy and keeps them calm then what is the issue?! I agree with that but argue you get much more swearing on the street and wherever you go then you’ll ever get at Wireless. I have already explored drugs and noises and how is a swearing ban going to stop all of that?! It is not like artists cleaning up will magically whitewash the ongoing issues that come with the festival. It is a shame that certain people ruin it for everyone and there are very obvious things that need to be eradicated. A lot of Finsbury Park residents have had enough with Wireless because of the problems that have come and the extra noise it brings each year.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @paucasals/Unsplash

Before 2019’s event – if it is allowed back – there needs to be a lot done to, maybe, limit bad language but do a lot more when it comes to most more pressing and explicit problems! I do not think musicians can be censored and you cannot tell one specific festival that their talent should be clean and not offend. I return to the first article I quoted a passage that keeps coming back to my eyes:

“I cannot imagine life without swearing, for swearing is life. Lately, football commentators have taken to apologising when microphones pick up the crowd’s chants or managers’ swearing. This is such a weird infantilising of the audience: we can hear swearing but are told we somehow shouldn’t have. It’s the equivalent of bleeping and asterisks, all of which bemuse me. Swearing can be dull and lazy and simply an exclamation mark, or it can be fantastically creative and funny. It is malleable, like all language, and when it is done in Portuguese by José Mourinho, who among us is truly offended? Indeed, it should be subtitled”.

Swearing is all around us and it is impossible to go anywhere without hearing someone saying something rude! It is not down to people to tell artists what they should say and whether they can use bad language. If you take away that right and speech then you are going to send a terrible message to the rest of the industry.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lil Uzt Vert gets in among the crowd at this year’s Wireless Festival/PHOTO CREDIT: Ashley Verse

It seems like the pressure and circus of the festival, in general, is what residents are objecting to. If you move it to other parts of London then other people will have a problem; if you move it outside London then fewer people can get there and it means you will be brushing something away without compromise and consultation. Where does the censorship stop?! Do you ban alcohol or ensure people are strip-searched when they come in and out?! Every music festival is going to have problems because of the sheer mass of bodies coming through and you can never solve that. I am not sure what a quick fix will be but moving Wireless out of Finsbury Park is not a cure. There are plenty in the area that love having it on their doorstep and it is only the minority of those who attend Wireless that create problems. More needs to happen right now to ensure next year’s Wireless is as smooth and improved as possible. Get the residents on board and listen to their views; have a word with security and police to up the numbers and, maybe, speak with artists who can speak out themselves and direct a message against those who create trouble. A lot needs to be done but swearing, alas, is not the big elephant in the room. It is a slight problem but there are bigger ones that are being ignored. You cannot tell artists to stop swearing because they have a right and you get into some dangerous areas. It would be sad to see a more PG Wireless festival and how that affects who plays and which songs they get to perform. Nannying, controlling and editing those who take to the Wireless stage is a joke and those who feel all the problems and troubles around Wireless will simply disappear are…

IN THIS PHOTO: Post Malone (photoed playing at this year’s Wireless Festival)/PHOTO CREDIT: Jordan Hughes  

PLAIN fucking wrong!  

INTERVIEW: Ellzo

INTERVIEW:

Ellzo

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THE first interview of the weekend is with Ellzo…

who has been talking with me about his latest track, Agnostic, and what the story behind it is. With his E.P., Time Travel, now out; Ellzo has been chatting about that. I ask which artists and albums are important to him; how influential London is to his sounds and directions – Ellzo recommends some rising artists worth looking out for.

I was keen to know what comes next and how he got into music; if he unwinds away from music and whether he has advice for musicians coming through right now – Ellzo ends the interview by selecting a great track.

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Hi, Ellzo. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey. It’s been a real’ good week. Just came back from an interview with BBC 1Xtra.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

So. I go by the name Ellzo. I’m a producer (and, I guess, singer now) from London. I produce a lotta bouncy Futurebeats music and R&B mainly.

Agnostic is your new single. Is there a tale behind the song?

In social interactions, I’ve been known to be indecisive on expressing my own opinions from fear of being judged. The line “stuck in the middle” refers to my mental state being torn between choosing to express my opinion or not speaking at all. I tend to go with the latter.

It is from the E.P., Time Travel. Are there particular themes and ideas that inspired the work?

Time Travel, as a whole, sums up my development in music over the years.

You were born in West London. How important is the area regarding your sound and work?

One thing I will say is that a lot is happening right now in London for the SoundCloud scene and I’m grateful to be situated here. I live very close by to my workplace, so it’s cool that I can just come straight back home and work on music.

In terms of influences; which musicians did you grow up around?

I would say The Black Eyed Peas, Pharrell; The Roots and Timbaland were key influencers for initially developing my sound. My dad was a D.J. so I heard a lot of that stuff. My guilty pleasure would have to be S Club 7, too, but don’t tell anyone (smiles).

How did you get into music? Was there a particular moment when you knew it was what you needed to do?!

I’ve always been music minded. However, as a kid; I never had the equipment to express it. But, once I was acquainted with GarageBand back in 2008; I knew this music thing would be what I wanted to do for life.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’d like to work with one more artist and potentially release a few more singles. 10k followers on SoundCloud would be great also. Haha.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

It’d have to be this time when I was doing a live D.J. set down at a club in London, Birthdays. I was stuck on right till the end (2 A.M.) but there were still a good amount of people waiting around for me. I started playing and, as soon as I dropped a banger, the crowd started chanting my name. It was a surreal experience that I will never forget.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Sam Gellaitry - Short Stories

As it was the first vinyl I ever bought. He’s also my number-one producer like, ever, so it’d have to be his first E.P.

The Roots - How I Got Over

It was on-repeat when it first dropped. It has a special place in my heart, particularly as it got me through some long-ass car journeys. I never got tired of it and now it has a very nostalgic feel to it.

Flying Lotus - You’re Dead

It was the first time I was introduced to the legend. It blew my mind. I’d be lying if I said his use of stereo space didn’t have an influence on my sound today.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

It’d have to be Anderson. Paak. That dude is wild! I’d be filling up the backstage green room with champagne and Sour Skittles. Bean bags are a necessity, too.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

You can’t do this on your own (well, you can, but it’s 100x harder). Reach out to other likeminded musicians. If your music is good or they see potential, the nice ones will be willing to support you.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Sadly not, but if you know anyone willing to book my sorry ass, let me know.

IN THIS PHOTO: K, Le Maestro

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Olswel is one to look out for. At this point in time, he hasn’t got anything on Spotify so you’ll have to look him up on SoundCloud. K, Le Maestro is a local friend who’s got an incredible Boom-Bap vibe. Also; myself. I’ve got some crazy new music in the pipeline.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

When I’m not making music, or working down at the bar, I’m either drinking up at a pub somewhere, lifting at the gym or binging on T.V. boxsets. Oh…and an unhealthy amount of YouTube videos.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Well, thank you. Holiday by rysk, please. Have a good one!

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Follow Ellzo

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/EllzoOfficial

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/EllzoOfficial

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellzoofficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2yxN92GLAL02HulIhDYLpi?si=3QpPKFmBQr24HIw6DcMOgQ

FEATURE: The October Playlist: Vol. 4: A RAY of Light

FEATURE:

 

The October Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: RAY BLK

Vol. 4: A RAY of Light

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THIS week’s Playlist…

IN THIS PHOTO: Robyn

is a busy and diverse one…so it is best I expend as few words as possible and let the music do the talking! There are fantastic new songs from RAY BLK, Thom Yorke and Cardi B; gems from Our Girl, Hinds; Robyn and Ross from Friends – so many wonderful offerings to get your teeth into.

It is a wonderful and busy list of tracks that will get the weekend off to a great start and get right into the mind. I have been excited to see what would come this week and it is just as well artists have delivered with some offerings that are sizzling, spicy and pretty sweet. Get involved and have a listen to the best this week has to offer.

IN THIS PHOTO: Cardi B

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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Paloma Faith – Loyal

IMAGE CREDIT: Matthias Hombauer/The Prodigy

The Prodigy – We Live Forever

PHOTO CREDIT: Gareth Cattermole/MTV EMAs 2017/Getty Images for MTV

RAY BLK – Mama

Ross from Friends – Squaz

Maggie Rogers – Light On

White Lies – Believe It

PHOTO CREDIT: Neelam Khan Vela

Her’s – Under Wraps

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando

Our Girl – Being Around

PHOTO CREDIT: Lisa Businovski

Hatchie – Adored

Billie Eilish - when the party's over 

Cardi B - Money

Imagine Dragons - Zero

Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life

Hinds – British Mind

HAELOS – Buried in the Sand

Mumford & Sons – If I Say

PHOTO CREDIT: James Emmerman

Sigrid – Sucker Punch

Deaf Havana – Narcissus

Elley Duhé - FEVER

Ian Brown – First World Problems

Icona Pop – Rhythm in My Blood

KWAYE – Hanging On

Lauren Jauregui – Expectations

Tyler, the Creator – You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (From Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch)

Nao – Orbit

Public Service Broadcasting – White Star Liner

Tallia Storm – World on a Slope

Fia Moon – Water Runs Through

Thom Yorke – Unmade

GRAACE – SOS

P!nk – A Million Dreams

Pillow Queens – Gay Girls

Robyn – Ever Again

The Pale White – End of Time

YONAKA – Creature

Ellie Goulding (ft. Diplo and Swae Lee) – Close to Me

The Ting Tings – A&E

TRACK REVIEW: DIDI - Fickle Friends

TRACK REVIEW:

 

DIDI

Fickle Friends

9.4/10

The track, Fickle Friends, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/7sI6sqNWI7Tf9QvSVk3JiO?si=mJ2pzNoKSTO9yWyjC5W8rA

GENRES:

Indie; Pop-Punk

ORIGIN:

Hertfordshire, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

1st October, 2018

PRODUCER:

Rhiannon Mair

The Green EP is available from 1st November. Pre-order here:

https://iamdidimusic.bandcamp.com/album/green-ep-limited-edition

PRODUCERS:

Rhiannon Mair & Lauren Deakin Davies

MASTERING ENGINEER:

Katie Tavini

_________

IT has been a little while since I last looked at DIDI…

so it is time to come back and see what she is up to. I want to look at artists who are producers or, more accurately, those who produce their own work; female producers and why they are gathering more pace; E.P.s and albums that chart a distinct story arc and personal narrative; Pop-Punk and sounds that need to be heralded more in this time; award-winners and artists who are building steam; joining with a band and putting together that fuller sound – I will end by seeing where DIDI will go. Fickle Friends is the latest single from DIDI and there will be the Green EP coming along. I will keep you alerted as to developments and the E.P. as a whole but, right now, I wanted to look at production and how important that is. There are many artists who self-produce and can take care of their own material. Fickle Friends was produced by Rhiannon Mair, who also drums on the recording. The reason I wanted to talk about production is because of artists who are still lending out there songs to others. I do wonder whether modern musicians lack the skills to produce their own material or if they prefer another person’s direction. It can be understandable why an artist like, say, David Bowie used producers such as Tony Visconti. Building up a great working relationship can last for years and lead to some terrific work. If you have someone you trust and can offer fresh perspective; it can take the work in different directions or add something you had not expected. The best producers are patient and will listen to the artist but will not sit back and allow them to have all the say. Compromise and input is important and the producer can bring your work to life. Some might say an artist producing their own work might be too subjective and rigid but I do not believe this.

Producers are among music’s unsung and they do not get the credit they deserve. Lauren Deakin Davies, as I shall explore, is a fantastic producer who is among music’s fastest-rising and most prominent producers and, as such, has the expertise and talent to know where to take her work. Not only can an artist – who learns to produce – have more of a say regarding their own work but they can work with others and bring that back to their stables. I am reminded of the case of Kate Bush on her earliest albums and how she was frustrated (she was) unable to produce. She feels, then and now, her voice was being directed by others and only achieved true comfort and contemplation several albums down the line. Maybe new artists are not as hard on themselves but learning basic production skills is a great thing to have in your locker. It might not have to be as in-depth as knowing every inch of the studio and being that advanced but I do worried whether hired producers have the understanding and knowledge of the artist’s work to really do it justice. DIDI (alongside Mair) has that experience and can ensure her work is produced and cemented as she feels fit. I, if I were a musician, would learn basic producing and engineering skills because, whilst I feel having others in the studio is important; being able to have your own say and offer some comeback is crucial. I am fascinated by producers and what they give to a song because many of us do not really take the time to think about what they do and how they enhance music. I am not suggesting every artist needs to rebuff outside producers but having some basic understanding will help enormously. Not only will that understanding aid your own work but it will, as mentioned, allow you to work with other artists and add to your C.V. From there, an artist can learn more about the studio and bring that back to their own music.

I know Rhiannon Mair (DIDI’s drummer) and her talents as a producer but Lauren Deakin Davies, as DIDI, has this duel-personality and split that is interesting to look at. I will talk more about her sound and artistry soon but I am really interested looking at the producer behind the music. Deakin Davies has a long career and has worked alongside the likes of Laura Marling. She is one of the most respected and lauded producers coming through right now and is one to watch. DIDI’s E.P. comes out on 1st November and you will get to see all her (Deakin Davies’) different sides and production talents come to the fore. She won the Producer of the Year award at the NMG Awards (she has won that two years in a row!) and I can see her picking up more silverware down the tracks. You can follow her work and search who she has produced but I feel there are few female producers who get the attention and spotlight they deserve. The likes of Lauren Deakin Davies and Catherine Marks are doing so much for music and show as much talent and force as any male peer. I am delighted Deakin Davies has been awarded and seen her talents acknowledged and I cannot wait to see who she produces for in 2019. Alongside Mair; you have this artist who knows what sound is needed and can bring it to life. We all know there are far fewer female producers and engineers in the music industry and I feel the likes of Deakin Davies will help with recruitment. I am not sure whether the studio is seen as a boys’ club and the environment is unwelcoming to women. I know female producers who are warmly welcomed but there are some who feel they are going into a male-dominated area. It is hard to know for sure but there is still a lack of education and awareness at school-level. The likes of Lauren Deakin Davies are showing women can gain acceptance and attention as producers and there are so many more out there who can add to her voice.

I feel the music industry is still too male-heavy and we need to shift the vote. I know there are producers like Deakin Davies and Mair who are having their say and campaigning; striking out and proving there is nothing to suggest female producer should be in the minority. Maybe there is that historic impression of the male studio or the fact labels and bigger artists want male producers. I have mentioned how artists can self-produce and some of the biggest names in modern music, if not solo, ensure they have a production credit. In terms of female producers being behind some of the biggest albums around; I think more awareness needs to be raised and more women need to be encouraged into the studio. It is a complex problem to solve but, gradually, we are seeing some great female producers emerge. I am one of those people who wants there to be true equality in music and I wonder how long it will take until we see that. It is hard to say how we can go from where we are now to having an industry where half of the producers around are women. Talented and growing producers like Deakin Davies are helping regarding awareness and ensuring other female producers are given kudos but I feel more needs to be done by men in the industry. We know there are fewer music lessons being taught in schools and many cannot afford to study music at colleges/universities. I will come back to the production side of things when I look at Fickle Friends but it is an interesting angle I wanted to explore. I have talked about these sides and considerations when I last reviewed DIDI but, as it has been a little while; it is worth coming back and seeing how far we have come. It is only a few days until the E.P. is around and I have heard most of the songs that will appear on it.

Although I am not reviewing the E.P. itself – I only ever look at singles/tracks – it is well worth getting involved with it and buying it when it arrives. Listen to the sound of DIDI and that has developed since the earliest days. The likes of BBC Radio 6 Music have backed her work and radio stations around the country are throwing their support behind her. DIDI used to play solo but, through gigging and the passage of time; she has now got a band behind her and it has allowed a fuller sound to come through. The tracks that will appear on the Green EP were written at the start of the artist’s birth (early last year) and it is interesting hearing those slightly early songs being given a rich and emphatic support by her band. I think, at the start, DIDI wanted something quite spiked and Pop-Punk and, although that genre remains now, we have a fuller and more colourful sound that brings the songs to life. The past eighteen months have been interesting and busy for DIDI and she has been very busy in the studio. Busy producing E.P.s for other artists; Deakin Davies has had to approach her own work slightly differently. It is hard to tackle your own material the same way you would with other artists because it (your own stuff) is more personal and you are more invested in it. The production is exceptional and having Mair offer input and her voice means the work is not too subjective. I will return to the production side of things but the E.P. charts the story of DIDI and various different stories. Artists such as Muse, Arctic Monkeys and Paramore have influenced the sounds on the E.P. but the tracks all sound tight and focused because the band have worked hard on them. Although the songs started life earlier last year; the fact the band have gigged together a long time and have that trust brings new light and layers to the music.

You get some relatable and common themes coming through on the Green EP. All the songs, bar GO!, have been released as singles and we sort of know what to expect. This is the first full body of work for DIDI and has been a bit of a nervous time. She is excited to get the work out there but, as she has been around for a little while now, there is that expectation and build. Big radio stations have celebrated her work and it has been a fascinating progression. I want to investigate themes on Fickle Friends but GO! Investigates stark emotions felt when you go through a break-up; Fast and Furious is an out-and-out pure love song with a slightly, as DIDI admits, ‘soppy’ edge to it. Back Off and Awkward have more social-political and deeper origins. The former is about a drunken guy who was shouting at a girl – who had got off a train – and a sense of immediate intimidation. The latter is more about entitlement and the feeling DIDI, and her female peers, have felt when heading into the studio. It is good there is that balance between personal/commercial and the more intense. You have common themes and something everyone can relate to. Whether looking at love as a fractured and troubled thing or a pure spirit; there are songs we can all connect with and have some experience of. So many artists get obsessed with love and relationships and that is all they focus on! It is fine when you do a few songs about relationships but one looks for something fresh and more from artists. DIDI has examined relationships from different perspectives and ensured one does not become too familiar and knows what is coming. As a female producer, feminist and advocate for equality; it is understandable she addressed gender issues and experiences she and her female peers have faced. Recalling personal stories and experiences on the road gives the E.P. movement and different shades. It also means she can get away from her own heart and explore different senses. The E.P. would be too one-sided or introspective if it were all relations: pushing away and looking at other concerns gives the work a more rounded and multifaceted aspect.

Lauren Deakin Davies, as DIDI, has this musician-producer head that has to make some tough decisions before recording has begun. A lot of artists can take their work to a producer and that consultation begins. They might run through some demos or do some trial-and-error before a final sound is realised. The producer will get a lot of say but there is that democracy between artist and producer. Deakin Davies has experience of working with others but she also knows her own music well. Does she employ some elements of other artists (she has worked with) or does she take from her musical background? By that, I mean what she grew up around and the artists who have compelled her. In the case of songs like Fickle Friends; one senses little bits of Muse, Paramore and the Pop-Punk of the 1990/2000s. I recall when Green Day released their album, Warning, back in 2000 and, at the time, I was in college and listening to them and bands like Blink-182. After living through Grunge and then seeing Britpop come and go; the U.S.-led Pop-Punk explosion was another great shift. Although DIDI is (a lot) younger than me; she loved those periods and you can hear bits of Britpop in some E.P. moments and influences of Punk. What I sense, when listening to her work, is someone who wants to put across an intensity and spirit but does not want to lose melody and something a little warmer. There are female artists/bands who are quite sharp and full-on but DIDI is that link between pure-out Punk bands and those Pop artists who could, in many ways, add a bit more spike to their work. There are some great female-led bands out there (such as YONAKA and False Advertising) who can fuse various genres/time periods and keep it quite modern but DIDI, to me, seems to go that one step further. The music you hear is so busy but it is so personal. Too many artists, I think, skew their sounds to the desires of radio and the mainstream and you never know whether authenticity is being blurred by that desire to be heralded and following the pack.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Freya Freeman Taylor

The fact Lauren Deakin Davies has awards for her production ensures that professionalism and passion comes through in the music. She has joined with a band and it seems there is a great team working away. When she started out on her own – and was almost taking care of everything – you could sense that promise but the feeling the music could be a bit fuller and bolder. As much as anything; having a band (she worked all out all the parts and performed them on the recordings (other than drums) but has a band who perform with her - Penny Churchill on bass; it's now Keyleigh Cheer on drums (as Rhiannon became SO busy, also as her solo artist RUEN moniker) and Emily Aldrich on lead guitar) gives options and the chance to bolster the music’s promise. It also means there are other players who can offer suggestion and have their say. I think there will be a lot more work from DIDI and I am interested to see where her and the band will head. It is the chemistry and companionship she has with the band that really makes the music Pop. DIDI reflects on past days and older music but there is that contemporary freshness and modernity that fuses it all together. I see artists who try and balance the older and new and it can often fail. DIDI, as the artist, has a great knowledge of modern and older sounds and teases these together in her own way. As a producer; Deakin Davies does not do what she has done with other artists nor does she mimic anyone else. She could easily fall into that trap of trying to make a DIDI song/E.P. sound like one she has already produced and know is a success. That is what I was saying about tough decisions and having a clear head. Instead, you get a work that does not copy anything else and is very personal. Any DIDI work is personal and unique but so many modern artists sound too much like someone else and it is hard to detach from that. Although one can sense colours of Muse and hints of Paramore and Green Day; they are not obvious and you have an artist who merely nods to them – never copying and sticking too closely with what they have done. I like how DIDI is not beholden to her own relationships and heart and brings in other observations.

 PHOTO CREDIT: James Gallant

Fickle Friends swings in with a big and bold loop that has this brilliant blend of Arctic Monkeys and The Jam. As the opening track of the Green EP; it is a big and immediate song that gets under the skin right away and makes it presence known. I know DIDI/Deakin Davies is a fan of the early work of the Arctic Monkeys and it is interesting the band themselves do not have that sound anymore. It is a sound I have been hankering after and it is great seeing that same swagger and sensation come back into music. The introduction sort of sets the scene and you are already picturing that the song is about and who is being portrayed. From the rushing and flowing swirl of the opening; the song changes dynamic and gets into a more syncopated zone. DIDI comes to the microphone and her voice stutters, staggers and spits; much like a fighter in the ring, sizing up their opponent. One might have expected some yelled or calm but you get an unexpended delivery that gives the words more emotion, boldness and character. It seems the friends, DIDI and her other, have been using one another or, more accurately, the heroine herself has been used. It appears the other person has been mean and they are using the heroine and not showing that respect. The first impression I got of the song was something personal that also looks out at the wider world. We all know occasions when people have not pulled their weight and there is an imbalance in the friendship. I guess DIDI has given her all to this friend and, for some reason; they are taking that for granted and showing her a lack of kindness. The heroine does not let the emotions get on top of her but there is definite anger and accusation. The production is superb (as you’d expect) and it allows for this great balance of rawness and polish.

  PHOTO CREDIT: James Gallant

You can hear every word clearly – so many producers and mixers drown the vocals and bury them – and there is a distinct shine to things. That bring said; the grittiness and spiked tongue one hears means authentic Pop-Punk attitude pervades and resonates. I mentioned Arctic Monkeys at the start but, if anything, bands like Paramore become more evident as the song progresses. That is not to say DIDI is too influenced by anyone else but you can tell who her influences are and what she wants to achieve through Fickle Friends. I love how all the instruments have their say and play their role. The bass is liquid and slithering whilst guitar and drum combine and create something heady, heavy and brooding. DIDI recounts how the ‘friend’ took from her and the imbalance in the friendship. You can sense that build up and the tension growing. The chorus is a big and gutsy blast that finds the heroine pushing away the other and wondering why she was taking advantage of. Our heroine used to have confidence – whether that friendship gave her that ability and comfort – but now that is all lost. What strikes the mind is the sheer vitality and energy of the vocal. DIDI never lets things get too accusatory and angered but you can definitely sense the electricity and aggression come to the surface. It is clear Pop-Punk and U.S. artists are an influence and it the story engrosses you. It is not explained why the bond has been broken but a definite lack of respect from the other party has led to this. The band weaves colours and threads together that bring the story to life and take it in new directions. Rather than a repetitive and predictable composition; the musicians shine and you get so many interesting notes and lines emerging. They brilliantly propel DIDI and she, in turn, keeps them level and directed. It is a clear and solid relationship that makes the song sound completely focused and pure. As things progress and they turn towards the end; the bitterness and sense of disappointment remains and one wonders whether there is any way back. Fickle Friends is an exceptional song and one that shows DIDI is among the most promising new artists around. Make sure you get hold of the Green EP and back this wonderful talent.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Tony Birch

What strikes me about DIDI is how she has progressed and developed over the last eighteen months or so. The songs we will witness on the Green EP started life back then but you can tell how much the band has added. The music never sounds like it is too rooted in one period. All of DIDI’s songs have their own skin and sound as fresh and urgent now as they did months ago. I am looking ahead and wondering whether DIDI will head. I know Deakin Davies will be producing other artists and busy in the studio but there is this whole other life that will be explored. I think DIDI will get a lot more airplay and attention from radio stations such as BBC Radio 6 Music. Maybe there will be gigs around the country but I feel DIDI can travel the globe and get some attention over in the U.S. I feel her sound naturally fits there and she could get some gigs around L.A. and New York. I am not sure what her fan numbers are like over there but, when more music comes out, she will get that demand and her numbers will grow. I wanted to study Fickle Friends for a number of reasons. Not only is it her latest release and the last single before the E.P. comes out but, to me, is her most fired and memorable tracks so far. I have followed DIDI’s work since the start and can see how far she has come. I wonder whether she is already looking to other singles and E.P.s and what 2019 holds. It will be a packed year ahead and one filled with adventure. I am seeing more female artists/fronted bands being heralded but there is a long way to go before there is equality. I have talked about female producers and I know the likes of Lauren Deakin Davies (and Rhiannon Mair) and doing a lot to get the ball rolling and discussion happening. You can see the work Deakin Davies has done and it makes you wonder whether there are female producers like her who have been restricted or felt like they would not be supported – they have a champion in the industry and someone who shows there is that potential for recognition. I shall not discuss the issue more but I suggest everyone follow DIDI and get behind her E.P. Fickle Friends is a great track that stands in the mind and compels you to investigate it again and again – no mean feat considering how many songs (not that many) from the current day provoke that reaction. The future is very bright and 2019 will be a big one for DIDI. Growing from that solo endeavour to the tight and bold band there is now; it has been a wonderful progression and I know DIDI will keep the pace going. One is spoiled for choice when it comes to great new music but I feel a playlist/collection would be weaker if it did not have…

DIDI in it!

___________

Follow DIDI

Official:

http://www.didimusic.co.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/IamDIDImusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/IamDIDImusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cQQ9FJMLv9nUwuqsn9njR?si=MCIK98F7Sk2wmf1BVt4Ywg

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/iamdidimusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamdidimusic/

INTERVIEW: NIKO

INTERVIEW:

NIKO

___________

MY final interview before the weekend is with NIKO…

who has been talking about his latest single, The One, and the inspiration behind it. I ask him whether there will be any more material coming along and how he got into music; which artists have inspired him and whether there are any rising musicians we need to pack.

NIKO reveals his plans ahead and talks about three albums that mean a lot to him; how he chills and unwind away from music; which artists he’d support given the chance – he ends the interview by picking a classic Swing song.

__________

Hi, NIKO. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi Sam! I’m good. My week has been busy getting ready for the release of my single!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is NIKO. I was born and raised in Milan, Italy but now I live and work in N.Y.C. I would define my music as Pop: sonically, it has a Euro touch fused with a contemporary sound. Thematically, I’m inspired by my own experiences as well as my fantasies - and the possible scenarios that could happen in between the two.

The One is your latest single. How did that song come to be? What inspired it?

The One is a romantic song that touches on the frustration of modern dating. It’s inspired by the first moments with someone you're attracted to. It reminisces on warm summer nights, spent in and out of bars and clubs; looking for ‘the one’. It’s definitely a personal song - it was written and recorded in just one afternoon during a session in L.A.

Do you think there will be more material coming? How far ahead are you looking?

Yes. The One is part of a four-track E.P.: the fil rouge of the E.P. is romance, love and lust. The second single will come out next month while the full E.P. is going to be released early next year.

How did you get into music? Was there a particular moment when it all sort of clicked?

I was a very artsy kid and I took up acting and singing from a very young age. I think I realized I wanted to make music and be a performer when I first sang live in front of a live audience in Milan when I was fourteen. I performed Light My Fire; still one of my favorite songs.

Are there particular musicians you draw inspiration from? Did you grow up around a lot of music?

I’m inspired by the big legends of pop such as George Michael, Madonna and Janet Jackson - whenever I’m looking for inspiration I turn to their music, which is so timeless and beautiful.

I grew up in a very musical household . Even though my parents were not professional musicians or in the music business, music was always playing at home and very much part of our lives. Still nowadays, big family gatherings often turn into dance parties!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

As an independent artist, I would be grateful to connect with more people through my music; release another single and play a couple of live shows.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes. I’m planning the release of my E.P.!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Some years ago, I spent a couple months in the U.K., working with different producers on a project that never saw the light of day (unfortunately). I had the pleasure of working with Joe Cross, the producer behind HURTS, and David Laudat, an amazing vocal coach who worked with the Spice Girls back in the day (and also FKA Twigs).

Even though those songs never came out, I learned a lot about music production and songwriting during my stint in London and Manchester. I treasure those days very much!

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Madonna – Erotica; Janet Jackson – The Velvet Rope and George Michael – Patience

If I think about it, these three albums share similar topics and are all very personal, raw and very, very sensual. Musically; these albums definitely pushed some boundaries and innovated Pop music at the time. And, visually, Madonna, Janet and George Michael had stunning, creative videos to go with the singles. These albums influenced me a lot growing up and I still turn to them when I need some inspiration.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

That’s a hard question. There are so many artists I admire but I would love to open for Lady Gaga. She’s such a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist. I’ve been a fan since day-one.

A glass of prosecco before the show would honestly be all that I need.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’m a new artist myself, so I would just say to never give up and to trust your vision.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Not yet, but I’m definitely looking to play some live shows in the future so stay tuned!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Leo Kalyan

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes. Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to the mega-talented Leo Kalyan, who put out some great music this year (like his latest single Focus), and NEIL FRANCES; a band that made an awesome cover of  Stardust’s Music Sounds Better With You and then put out a great E.P.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Sometimes, a good workout is all that I need to unwind and recharge but I also enjoy watching old Hollywood movies.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

I would go with one of my all-time favorites: Frank Sinatra - I’ve Got You Under My Skin

___________

Follow NIKO

Official:

http://thisisniko.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thisisnikomusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thisisnikomusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thisisniko/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Ma0uFv5F33l0oahpy5N6Y

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/thisisniko 

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIV)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Josie Dunne 

An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIV)

__________

THIS playlist collates…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sick Love 

some great female artists and shows what incredible talent there is out there. Some in the music industry feel own are a genre and not a gender and, as I show, there is immense range and wonder to be discovered. I have collected together some of the best and freshest new female-led music that displays all the colours and contrasts of autumn. It is a fulsome playlist that mixes the heat and last rays of sunshine with the more contemplative and cool nights. Have a listen through this assortment and I am sure you will find some music that will go straight…

IN THIS PHOTO: Tallies/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Gray  

TO the heart.

ALL PHOTOS (unless stated otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

____________

Carlie Hanson – Toxins

Ea Kaya – Don’t Complicate It

PHOTO CREDIT: Naysap

Shay D – Don’t Worry

Ayelle – Too Busy

Sick Love – Are You Ready

ARTWORK: Jackie Beverly/DESIGN: Ciarán O'Brien

Jackie Beverly – Out of Reasons

Sabrina Carpenter – Paris

Josie Dunne – Cool with It

Worst Place – Soak

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Gray

Tallies – Beat the Heart

Blithe – Bad Habit

I’m with Her – Wild One

PHOTO CREDIT: Jasmine Safaeian

Dresage – Sediment

HÆLOS – Buried in the Sand

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan

Sit Down – Knives

IMAGE CREDIT: Magda Wrzeszcz Photography

Austel – Lost at Home (Acoustic Live Video)

PHOTO CREDIT: Declan Kelly.

Montauk Hotel - Stains

Sive – Quietly

Bishop Briggs – River

Jessie Munro – I’d Like To

Sabby Sousa – Xanax

Vera Blue – All the Pretty Girls

SOAK – Everybody Loves You

LIEZA – Special

Salvation Jayne – Cortez

Jaden Michaels – Behave

INTERVIEW: The Ting Tings

INTERVIEW:

The Ting Tings

___________

I have been spending time with The Ting Tings…

who have been telling me about their new (fourth) album, The Black Light, and its themes. Katie White and Jules de Martino discuss how the record differs from their previous work and how Spain and L.A. played a part in the recording process.

The guys talk about plans going forward and reveal albums that mean a lot to them; whether there is a rising act we need to get behind and whether they have any goals to tick off before the end of this year – they end the interview by selecting some awesome music.

__________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Jules de Martino: Busy. Putting out our own records is no joke!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Katie White: I’m Katie White…

Jules: I’m Jules de Martino; we are The Ting Tings

The Black Light is your new album. What are the main themes/stories that inspired the record?

Jules: We felt that years of living and touring built up a large trailer-full of baggage (as with all our lives) that gave us anxiety and concern. Most of that emotion made its way onto the record, musically and lyrically. It’s very much about shining a light on those bits we brush under the carpet of forget to address.

Do you each have a favourite song from the album?

Katie: Earthquake.

Jules: Blacklight/Estranged.

What was it like recording The Black Light in Spain and L.A.? Why did you choose those destinations?!

Katie: We always pack down; ship off to a new place to make new music. It’s just part of our fabric. We decided, very early on, that we would never make two records sound alike and, by shutting shop and starting again, we feel like a new band each time.

Jules: On The Black Light, we ended up in Southern Spain in a valley like lost souls suffering from extreme nerves and exhaustion in bliss mountain air and pure silence. Kinda freaked us out as we thawed. It almost chose us but, as the writing and jamming became something honest and worthy, we repacked and set for L.A. to cement the record. We had passed through L.A. many times - especially through the arts district - and vowed to make a record there; so it made sense that once the songs were penned to head there to get this record down.

Many people are familiar with your sound and biggest hits. How do you think your style has changed since the start?

Jules: Immensely. So many reasons for the evolution. As artists, we always want to discover and explore. Life’s short and we need to cram in as much as we can while we’re here.

Katie: We’re an Indie band that crossed over to the ‘other side’ but our hearts remain in the creation of music and art that means something to the creator.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Katie: In a way, we’ve already achieved some of our goals: to complete album-four with material we adore is huge. When we’re this happy about our efforts, we start thinking about touring and performing it live.

Jules: I’d like to master drone flying…

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Katie: Erm. We’re starting to think about places we haven’t seen or performed. It’s an interesting list: Tasmania, Mongolia; India, Iceland; Greenland, the North Pole…

Jules: Wanna go back to Ibiza and party. We spent time there on album-three and didn’t get to do everything we set out to do - so, I’m going back to unfinished biz.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Jules: There’s so many...

I have to check my journal as each time an event surpasses the one before it becomes my fave. Sitting on the street tarmac in Las Vegas after a very heavy night when our T.M. (tour manager). He forgot to get us to the airport on time, which meant missing the next show and getting more messed up in Las Vegas…pretty memorable. If I'm not mistaken, we wheeled our T.M. back to his room that night in a wheelchair as he couldn’t stand up; ex-military dude at 6ft 5.

Katie: Jakarta blew my mind when the promoter crammed 15k peeps into a 5k venue falling apart at the seams. The audience had to watch a military film before we went on stage. (There were) military personal everywhere and we thought we were in for a dud but the 15k sung every single lyric of the entire set. It took a while for me to compute. Things aren’t always what they seem.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Katie: That’s tough. We Started Nothing will always be special as it was the first.

Jules: Yeah. I though; I still feel like I never got to finish the production on it…I’m feeling The Black Light big. It just feels like it’s really about where we are now - and the process of getting to this independent point in our lives means a lot. It’s the most honest record we have made.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Jules: David Byrne. I would need to be playing drums on Once in a Lifetime - with tequila backstage.

Katie: If The Smiths reformed; I’d like to warm up then watch them from side of stage munching a salad and drinking white wine, of which Morrissey would approve. I love The Smiths…

Jules: I once confused J. (Johnny) Marr for J. (John) Squire. Marr showed up at our studio in Salford (Manchester) and I was hungover. Making small talk; I told him I loved his new band, The Seahorses. I think the single was You Can Talk to Me…which, of course, was Squires’ band. D’oh. No chance of a side of stage if The Smiths reform, then?

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Jules: Do not do it unless you feel it is honest and you want to support it fully. Take no advice; stay true. The industry is in chaos and only artists creating their individual moments will save it.

Katie: Go slowly, surely; have a vision and stay in lane.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Katie: Not yet, but working on it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sleaford Mods

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Jules: The Sleaford Mods.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Katie: Not at the moment. We are fully-independent releasing our own records. No time to turn off. Never been one to turn off but the time will come and I’ll fall into a big cream cake (or summin’).

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Jules: Sleaford Mods’ Jobseeker

Katie: The Smiths’ There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and Cardi B - Bodak Yellow

Bye,

J. & K.

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Follow The Ting Tings

Official:

https://thetingtings.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thetingtings

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thetingtings/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thetingtings/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM8ASW_g3a6bp17Zk5pULzg

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wvUfjKGoXvcnDHq7GgMOa

INTERVIEW: James Holt

INTERVIEW:

 PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis  

James Holt

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IT is great to chat with James Holt…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis

about his new single, Alone Again, and how it came to mind. Holt discusses the song’s origins and reveals whether there will be more material; the artists he grew up around and what the music scene is like in Manchester – Holt recommends a rising act to watch.

I ask whether there will be any tour dates and how she spends time away from music; why he is inspired by the 1960s and that sound; a few albums that mean a lot to him – he ends the interview by selecting a great track.

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Hi, James. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey, Sam; all good thanks! Though, I’ve got a slight cold – aCHOO!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from one of the shires of England. I write music in an attempt to make people cry – but in a nice way.

Alone Again is your latest single. Is there a story behind the song?

There are three separate narratives in Alone Again with the underlying theme of loneliness and regret. In the first verse, the character loses his love in death (“Never-ending dream”); in the second he never told his love of his feelings (“I should have screamed when I was whispering”) and, in the final verse, he blames himself for suffocating their passions (“Like fire clings to a burning man I have smothered you”).

It’s mainly just exploring the idea of loneliness: how someone can be lonely by no fault of their own or alone in a crowd – I usually include ‘turning points’ in my songs (in this case, there are two or three!).

The song has that mid-1960s vibe to it. Was there a reason for stepping into that direction?

I really enjoy subverting people’s expectations in songs through sudden tempo changes, similar to Brian Wilson’s production method of splicing together of different sections…which gives Alone Again an angular quality. I’ve always loved the classic songs of the '60s and - drawing inspiration from The Beatles (the Rubber Soul/Revolver years) and the dramatic variety of early Scott Walker - I aimed to write a song that pays homage to that golden era of songwriting.

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Husband

What comes next in terms of material? Are you working on more stuff?

I’ll be going back in November to work on another track, maybe two. I can’t really say much about it but it’s a live favourite. 

Can you give me a sense of the artists you grew up around? Who do you count as idols?

I play piano, guitar and cello and I did all the exam grades and played lots of different styles of music (from Classical to Jazz to Rock) - because of this, I’ve grown up with so many different artists and composers. To name a few: The Beatles, Radiohead; Pink Floyd, David Bowie; Miles Davis, Bob Dylan; Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell; Scott Walker, Tchaikovsky.

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Wolfgang Webster

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’m looking ahead into next year now. The rest of 2018 will be spent recording some more material and I have a couple of really cool shows to announce very soon!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I have two…

The first (is) meeting Brian Eno and have him champion and support my music; the second, performing at the Royal Albert Hall. The performance was great but I think I enjoyed the sound-check more. I could play with the room and hear it reverberating back to me; take it all in. When I was performing my set for real, I was just concentrating on my performance; making sure I didn’t f*ck up! Haha.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis

As a Manchester-based artist; what is the scene like up there now? Are there particular venues you’d recommend?

The scene is pretty healthy in terms of new music coming through – sadly, we’ve had a few venue closures recently to make way for accommodation or restaurants, which I believe is a similar story all over the U.K. (I’d like to highlight the Music Venues Trust, who protect and raise awareness of grassroots music venues). If you go to the Northern Quarter in Manchester, you’re likely to find a diverse set of musicians playing in one of its venues every night of the week.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Abbey Road - The Beatles

It’s my favourite Beatles album. It still blows my mind how a band that was pretty much split up at that point could make such a complete album.

In Rainbows – Radiohead

Just the perfect melting pot of Alt-Rock, Folk and Electronic music.

In a Silent Way - Miles Davis

My go-to chill album. This album was made by splicing together different sections and takes of different pieces. It was way ahead of its time and pretty genius really.

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Wolfgang Webster

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Have you seen U2’s live setup recently? They have this huge setup with like a double-sided screen cage (which displays huge images) that’s a few-hundred metres long and dissects the crowd and they run up and down; play on the main stage and play right in the middle of the crowd. I think, for that experience alone, I’d like to support them!

I have a thing for olives so they’d feature on my rider along with orange and mango juice.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

D.I.Y.! You can do so much yourself now, from recording and events to radio/online promotion.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I’m playing at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on 1st November - it’s a event run by Universal Inclusion to celebrate equality and inclusion (featuring all sorts, including a big band; an orchestra, lute soloists). In December, I’m taking part in Foundations Fest in Manchester where I’ll be on a panel discussing the Manchester grassroots scene.

In February, I have a full band show at Victoria Theatre, Halifax for an all-day event hosted by Clint Boon. I also have a Manchester headline show announcement coming soon, so keep an eye out…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Slow Readers Club

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Check out The Slow Readers Club if you haven’t already - they recently sold out Manchester Apollo! I supported them for a couple of shows for Independent Venue Week earlier this year.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Sounds a bit sad but pretty much everything I do is music-related! When I’m not doing my own writing, recording or performing my own music I’m either teaching music or playing function gigs (I play piano in a restaurant and I’m playing keyboards in a production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in Bolton this November!)

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Please can I have When You Know Why You’re Happy – Mary Margaret O’Hara

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Follow James Holt

 PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis

Official:

https://www.jamesholtmusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jamesholtmusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jamesholtmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamneavv/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5RU4BAi19LHkaPFcE1USkb

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/jamesholtartist

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/jamesholtmusic

INTERVIEW: Leah Nobel

INTERVIEW:

Leah Nobel

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THE fantastic Leah Nobel has been chatting about…

her new single, Slow Burn, and the story that inspired it. I ask what we can expect from her upcoming album, Running in Borrowed Shoes, and the sort of themes that compel the music; which artists she grew up around and the albums most important to her.

Nobel talks about her future plans and recommends an artist to watch; a few albums that mean a lot to her and whether she gets time to relax away from music – she ends the interview by selecting a great track.

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Hi, Leah. How are you? How has your week been?

Great. Just got back from a hiking trip in The Smoky Mountains - a much-needed weekend away.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Leah Nobel. I am a multi-genre artist/writer currently based in Nashville.

Slow Burn is your latest track. Can you explain the story behind the song?

During the interview process for Running in Borrowed Shoes, I asked people to share the story behind how they met their significant others; if they believed in ‘love at first sight’ etc. I used what I heard in my interviews to inspire Slow Burn, which touches on the fact that most people’s relationships don’t play out like the fantasy pop culture often perpetuates.

It is from the upcoming album, Running in Borrowed Shoes. What is the reason for that title? Are there themes/concepts that inspired the music?

The title, Running in Borrowed Shoes, was a symbol for what this project stands for. I acted as a vessel for other people’s stories, opinions and experiences and channeled them through song. There are many themes that inspired the music - ‘not feeling good enough’, ‘grief’; ‘feeling alive in the outdoors’, ‘forgiveness’.

Do you have a personal favourite from the album that stands out?

It’s hard to pick a favorite but This Pain Will Be Useful, which is on the full album coming in early-2019, impacts me the most emotionally.

How did you get into music? Was there a particular moment when it all sort of clicked?

I sort of feel like I fell into music by accident.

I never dreamed of being in the music business. I have always loved to sing and I have always known that I wanted to do something creative with my life. I think the first time I recorded in the studio as a teenager I knew that this was something more than a hobby.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I have been working a lot on my mental-health this year and would love to get to a place where I am less critical of myself.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

The full length record, Running in Borrowed Shoes, will be released!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I like the beginning of making records more than anything else. I like being in that quiet space of creativity - totally unsure of what will come out of your efforts.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Graceland - Paul Simon

It reminds me of my childhood and I love Simon’s lyrical prowess.

Say I Am You - The Weepies

It will always be one of my favorites, and I can’t really explain why- it is just comforting to me)

Slowmotionary - Ethan Gruska

A current favorite. His smart writing and musicianship blow me away.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I’d love to open for Carole King. My rider would be exceptionally boring. I like having a healthy meal before I perform and a quiet space to meditate.  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Remember what makes you different and hold it tight. Support your ‘competitors’ and treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I will be performing Running in Borrowed Shoes next year. Dates T.B.A.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ethan Gruska

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Ethan Gruska.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I try not to overbook myself because I am an introvert who needs time to recharge. I like to take baths and naps.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

The Valley by Ethan Gruska

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Follow Leah Nobel

Official:

http://www.leahnobel.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LeahNobel

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/leahnobelmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/leahnobel/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLWZd038_10HfrF2nuPnmAA

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5WHKBKrvTBMPoQX3v3Bq8J?si=nxKyzC-TScqd3y0V-JY3xA

INTERVIEW: Wiyaala

INTERVIEW:

Wiyaala

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IT has been eye-opening and amazing speaking with Wiyaala…

about her upbringing and how she got into music. She talks with me about her mash-up mix of Better Treat Me Right, and how that came to be; whether we can see her on the road before the end of the year – she recommends a rising act to watch closely.

Wiyaala discusses her plans going forward and reveals how she spends time away from music; whether more material is coming down the tracks and whether she has a favourite memory from music so far – Wiyaala ends the interview by selecting a great track.

__________

Hi, Wiyaala. How are you? How has your week been?

Seems like I’ve living in motorway service stations between promos, gigs and recording in Sheffield, U.K. So different to the roadside ‘chop’ bars in Ghana!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Wiyaala; a Sissala girl from Funsi, a small village in the northern part of Ghana. I do something I guess you could call Afro-Pop or Afro-Rock. My songs Village Sex and Rock My Body will give you a taste of my flavours!

A mash-up mix of Better Treat Me Right is up. What is the story behind the song?

I’ve been on tour with an international all-female band GRRRL (like the Spice girls on crack) and U.K. producer Will Mount from What’s That Sound Productions saw me and said he had a song for me. So, I went to his studio and recorded Better Treat Me Right. A few remixes later we ended up with the mash-up mix. I went for it because “I’m not the kind of girl to sit here and wait for you to rescue me”. Where I come from, you don’t get rescued!

You are a big advocate of women’s rights. Have there been particular personal experiences that have made fight harder?

That sounds terrible, doesn’t it? ‘A big advocate for women’s rights?’ Look; like just about everyone else reading this, I’ve had to fight tough every inch of the way to try and get somewhere. Because I’m a woman, that can get you labelled a feminist. I love men! Ok; it’s true I’ve spoken out against child marriage and F.G.M. - which is still happening in some of our communities. But, who doesn’t, regardless of whether you are male or female?

Did your upbringing and childhood shape how you approach music and what you write about?

Of course! I was drumming in the church choir when I was four-years-old! My mum was a chorister. In those days, we didn’t have electricity and we used to sit under the moonlight as a community, singing; dancing and playing games. We were happy. I used to organise the kids to perform for the village chief. I’ve portrayed this life in my song, Siiko. I’ve added a twist to it. With Smartphones and stuff, we are losing some of this culture. I’m saying, don’t forget it. As well as enjoying modern technology, we should add it to what we used to have.

The other thing was the western influence. When I was about eight-years-old, I saw Madonna’s video of Take a Bow on T.V. The red lips, the pointed nipples; the bull…I knew then I could do what she was doing. It was motivational and inspiring for a small girl in the African village.

Might we see more material coming down the line?

Yes - for at least the next twenty-five years. I’ve got a new album due out very soon, Sissala Goddess. I’m also working on an E.P. with my Ghanaian brothers in Sheffield known as the Zongo Brigade. That’s going to include the LGBT Remix of Rock My Body. That song is fun!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’ll settle for having my new album and E.P. out there. I’m a musician; from concept to execution. That’s all. The rest is up to the audience.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Yes. Performing at Womad, U.K. My first big ‘white’ crowd. They totally bought in to what I was doing. If you get it, you get it. Case closed. 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Hahahah! I don’t listen to music! I make it! Sure; I hear music all the time. But, I don’t sit down with a spliff and a drink and analyse albums. I don’t have time for that! I’m usually wandering around the house or sitting in the passenger seat of a car on the motorway doodling on my guitarlele. Or, I’m designing and sewing my own stage costumes. Or shooting and editing little videos for social media.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Look. I’m sorry I don’t have this kind of fantasy! I’ll support any living musician of any genre or nationality on any stage anywhere in the world. We’re all musicians, give us a stage; some basic sound and lighting and our job is to entertain. I don’t make or want crazy rider demands!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be the musician you really want to be. Be yourself. Perform live at every opportunity. Do your thing, not somebody else’s thing. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. Believe in yourself.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

You can see me with GRRRL at RichMix in London on November 2nd. Then, at the Kin Festival in Bristol (also with GRRRL) on 10th November. Then, I’m back to Ghana and it will be Wiyaala in Concert at the Alliance Francais, Accra on December 8th. Then, I’m back home to Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana where I’ll be organising the local Djimba World Festival which I started three years ago.

How important is it being on stage and performing? Do you love playing your music to the crowds?

It’s everything. I’ve been a live performer since I was three-years-old. I can never imagine a life without performing. I’ve done crowds of 70,000 in Morocco and crowds of ten at some venues. It’s all the same to me. It’s what I do.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dark Suburb

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes. Dark Suburb; a Rock band from Ghana. Start with I Dey Feel You Die.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I don’t. But, if I do, I like spending time with my mum and four sisters; cooking fufu and light soup with goat meat. We gossip, sing and dance and generally have fun.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Yes. Play the one I already mentioned above, I Dey Feel You Die by Dark Suburb. Thank you

___________

Follow Wiyaala

Official:

http://wiyaala.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wiyaala

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/wiyaala

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wiyaala/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/NoellaWiyaala

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/wiyaala

FEATURE: Do London’s Red Telephone Boxes Still Ring? The Changing Role of the Telephone in Popular Music

FEATURE:

 

 

Do London’s Red Telephone Boxes Still Ring?

PHOTO CREDIT: @jackofallstreets/Unsplash  

The Changing Role of the Telephone in Popular Music

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WE are in a time where most of us…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @quinoal/Unsplash

are communication through text and email. There are messaging services and, between that and social media; how often does one ever pick up a phone and speak?! A lot of interviews are not being done through Skype and that human connection is lacking! Even if we call a big company; a lot of the time we are connecting with a machine and pre-recorded voices. From Wilson Pickett through to Blondie; the telephone has formed the bases of music for decades. Whether it is a hero dialling up his girl or suggesting the best digits she needs to call or the heroine waiting for a call late into the night; the phone has always carried this potent symbolism and imagery. It can be used as a romantic tool or a way of communicating urgency but I wonder whether we have as many phone-related songs now as decades before. Look at cities like London and you always see tourists posing beside them and I often wonder whether anyone uses them and whether they exist merely to provide photo opportunities. In many ways, the street-level phones many of us used to rely on, pre-mobile phones, seem to be either symbols of past days or have become obsolete. Many are in a state of disrepair. It is sad to see but musicians are still using the phone in the same way musicians always have.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

I will bring in an article that examines the shift in trends but it seems, although the romantic notion of sweethearts talking for hours has been replaced to an extent; we have not come so far as to replace the phone with text and swiping left or right. The article I will bring in makes a good point: many people see voicemail as a violation! How many of us leave a message (rather than text) and do we ever check them?! A lot of us do not have landlines and, as we use Smartphones; so much of what we do is texted. Music still employs the telephone when it comes to romance and friendship but it is interesting music has not shifted so much artists are referencing texting, Snapchat and Instagram. I can detect social media and technology coming into some Pop music but is referencing texting and dating apps etc. the same way artists used to talk about the telephone a step too far?! The Guardian covered this topic a couple of months ago and it resonated with me:

“From Glenn Miller’s Pennsylvania 6-5000 to Drake’s Hotline Bling, pop’s obsession with telecommunications is long and glorious; Lady Gaga committed to the theme so strongly she wore a phone on her head. Phone songs have taken in anticipation (Abba’s Ring Ring), spontaneity (Call Me Maybe), popular hobbies (Village People’s Sex Over the Phone) and smartphones’ woeful battery life (Maroon 5’s Payphone)….

PHOTO CREDIT: @trojantrj  

And that’s before you consider phones’ real-world connections to pop. Decades before Spotify, the nearest teenage fans got to “on-demand” was Dial-a-Disc, where you would phone a number and listen to music looping on reel-to-reel tape machines. Mobile phones made their own impact: from the ringtone boom of the 2000s to the way the Walkman of the past is now built into all handsets, and even the way songwriters’ melody ideas are stored first as voicenotes. In the studio vocal booth, lyrics are read off a phone screen”.

Of course; when the likes of Blondie and whoever used the telephone in their music; this was back when people had landlines and leaving a voice message was not seen as weird. Although that romantic idea of the telephone has been modernised; musicians feel it is a little too much replacing that idea with texting and technology. It is somewhat cold and inhuman singing about texting someone or breaking up with that way. Although there is not that complete move from the telephone to Smartphones; the romantic symbolism and old-skool charm has been replaced. Adele’s Hello (released in 2015) is that old friend calling up; an emotional and revealing song that stands as one of her finest songs.

I feel there is a real opportunity for songwriters to embrace the telephone in a real and old-fashioned way. I am not suggesting we have those phones were you have to dial each number individually in a very pained way – can’t recall what the phones are called but you get them a lot in classic dramas – but the vision of two lovers trying to reach one another by the phone holds so much potency. Some of those sweethearts went to voicemail but it was the build-up before the call and the actual conversation that we were all waiting for. Even in 2018; songwriters realise the lure and importance of the phone:

“Phones are a very powerful trope,” acknowledges songwriter Jack Lee – and he should know. In the 1970s, he was a struggling musician in San Francisco. One afternoon, he received a call informing him that his phone line was about to be disconnected. However, there was time for one more incoming call, which informed him that a band were interested in covering one of his songs. The band were Blondie, the song was Hanging on the Telephone. From his home in Los Angeles, the 2018 version of Lee tells the Guide: “It changed my life, and it saved my life.”

But how true is this in the era of Generation Mute? In 2015, it was reported that phone use among young people had dropped by almost a quarter in just three years. Calling someone unannounced – or, God forbid, leaving a voicemail – is now an egregious attack on privacy. Let’s pick up the phone to Emily Warren, the co-writer of Dua Lipa’s New Rules. “Agreed!” she declares. “It’s a violation!” New Rules, she says, was inspired by the real-life predicament of co-writer Caroline Ailin, who was fielding texts and phonecalls from an ex. “We sat down to write a song that was a guidebook to ending that situation”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Flavs9701  

Has technology made the way we communicate more obsessive, bombarding and less physical? Consider that quote above and many of us have to deal with a barrage of texts and messages. I get countless emails a day and many people you see on the street are texting like ninjas on crystal meth! Digits that once would twiddle a phone cable coyly are now muscular and twitching because of endless texts and this rather obsessive lure. One of the reasons a song like Blondie’s Hanging on the Telephone holds charge is because of that anticipation and the fact there was something human behind the words. Even if there was that frustration and sense of longing; we could all relate to what was being said and it (the song) has survived because of the power behind the words. In many ways, songs such as that are popular because they represent a time that no longer exists. I often compare the shift away from telephone-based songs to that age-old view of the highway. Consider the songwriters who discusses being on some dusty trail and the romance of American highways. Many people still take those trips but songwriters cannot really relate to that classic image of a sweet car burning down the highway without a care in the world. There is traffic and jams; we have more people about and, in many ways, one cannot realistically sell an image of a romantic stretch of road and the freedom of the open.

Pre-Internet and the technological boom; people could only really communicate via phone – or letter or fax if you want to be picky – and, as such, it is understandable why the telephone became such an iconic and reliable trope. Now, as I said, most of the ways in which we communicate with a sweetheart or do our daily bidding is either via email, group chats or texts. So many men and women (mainly women) are besieged by texts and it seems like technology has made it easier for us to be obsessed, overly-forceful and, in many cases, plain stalker-like. It is that synthetic and technological aspect that gets to me: how can songwriters talk about being on the phone and hearing someone’s voice when, for the most part, we communicate through texts? Does this mean the phone has lost all of its meaning and music can no longer correlate the telephone with emotional resonance and deep desire? This article explores transmogrification and why the phone will always be important and can never be replaced by texting/emails:

“Yet there are still times when you need to hear someone’s voice – in matters of life, death or love. Which is why 2015’s biggest hits don’t feel too anachronistic. Furthermore, they’re in a grand pop tradition. As Vulture recently pointed out, the Big Bopper’s 1958 single Chantilly Lace set the bar for jams like Hotline Bling. In it, the libidinous singer spends the duration of the song on the telephone, complimenting a woman on her physical assets and peppering the chat with pet names”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @dollargill/Unsplash

One downside to texting is you never know if the person is who they say they are. Not many older songs dealt with duplicity and a faux voice over the other end – someone pretending to be the lover and duping the other. In an age where fake numbers are given and you can get your phone nicked – meaning you can impersonate someone easily – it is not easy to avoid a slightly creepy and dystopian image. The need to speak with someone and hear their voice is always there and, as the above article explained; you get that emotional hit and real connection that cannot be substituted. Consider the multiple dimensions and dynamics of a phone call. It can be a desperate call for help or an emotional call from across the seas. That need to hear someone’s voice and feel reassured is something, I feel, is not being rightly explored by a generation whose minds and eyes are distracted by screens. One can flirt via phone and there is that age-old bootie call; two old friends picking up after years away or, as I did as a child, calling someone up merely to hang and see how they are. Consider that last point. How often do we take the trouble to pick up the phone and ask how someone is or whether they saw that cool new drama last night? Texting and messaging seems to provide an easier and hassle-free option – no chance of voicemail or having to speak – and it would be forgivable if artists dispensed with vocal communication altogether.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @next_spideey21/Unsplash

Consider the nuances of the voice and the way it can never be superseded or demurred in terms of its immense power and warmth:

“A call carries an emotional charge which social media will never replicate. If a boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you via DM, you’d be humiliated – for them. And an important conversation via text will always come across as lazy, especially if you’ve shared something more special than the casual “u up?” exchange. This was proved comically last week when a woman texted the lyrics to Adele’s Hello to her ex-boyfriend as a joke. Also, texts could technically be sent or written by anyone with access to a cellphone. So despite our world having drastically changed since the days of Big Bopper, we still crave the confirmation that the person contacting us is emotionally engaged. Phone calls provide that. Texting and social media, not so much”.

Not only is there still a desire to have a voice speak to you at the other end of the line but a distinctly U.S. phenomenon has been revived – the hotline and that form of communication. I remember them from childhood – you used to get them in adverts and T.V. shows – but there was a time when artists stop referring to hotlines and they seemed tragically outdated. It seems, although not entirely, they are making a bit of a comeback – as this article explores in more detail:

“First up, some context: in 1990, fans could call David Bowie and leave a message to request the songs they wanted him to play on tour. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince had The New Rap Hotline, 1-900-909-5333, where for $2 for the first minute (35¢ for each additional minute) you could hear a recorded message that changed daily. In the UK, Smash Hits had numbers in the back of the mag to call to listen to the week’s biggest pop hits – like a pay-per-minute Our Price listening post, only one your parents would get incredibly angry about when they saw the phone bill…

“After a few years of screening calls, phone hotlines made a comeback in 2015. On the Dark Sky Paradise album, Big Sean gave out his real cellphone number, 313-515-8772, and fielded calls from fans before realising that, actually, saying “Yes, it’s really me” 8,205 times a day is boring. Shamir, meanwhile, played telephone agony aunt to fans to promote his breakup single Call It Off, while Justin Bieber fans could, er, make his Hotline Bling by calling 231-377-1113 to hear his remix of Drake’s hit”.

“So, is 2017, with Fever Ray and Eminem’s old-school music promotion tactics, the year pop goes analogue, like those irritating people who have swapped their iPhones for Nokia 3310s? The warning signs were there: Adele’s flip phone in the Hello video; Maroon 5’s Payphone; Liam Payne’s ringtone on Bedroom Floor. Could the fuzzy phone effect replace the crackly vinyl sound that lazy producers use to make a track sound “classic”? Will Beyoncé drop the mystique and be calling you 24/7 like an annoying PPI spammer? Will Taylor Swift leave you long, pointless voicemails like your mum? Call us on our premium-rate number, 0800 111 GUIDE, to find out!”

The more artists and consumers investigate and dust-off older music; the more we are becoming aware of new ideas. Consider songs about the telephone and how, when we listen to them, they make us feel warm, nostalgic and, in a way, better. I can listen to Stevie Wonder or Blondie talking about the telephone and can picture what they are singing and the mere imagery makes me imagination swim.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @gypsycompassrose/Unsplash

Even they we live in a time where, as we’re told, we are less connected and happier to avoid talking altogether; there are so many opportunities for songwriters to revoke the beauty and power of the telephone. We all still use them in everyday life: from discussing a job interview to calling your folks; they have not been replaced entirely by texting and emails. Maybe a song that details a late-night call where both lovers are being told (by their angry parents) to end the call because it will break the bank would not fly today. We can all chat for hours for free and, as I said, the landline is becoming marginalised – most homes that have them tend only to rely on them now and then. Whether you feel the telephone is a relic and pointless device that should be left in the past or prefer to pick one up and actually speak with another human; you cannot deny the effect and impact they have made on popular music. The voice, and the nuanced emotions it holds, means we will always use them and, as such, musicians will be able to mine them for gold. Although the march of time has rendered some telephone-based avenues obsolete; artists still bring telephones into music and I feel they could go a lot further. Think about the reason why they existed in the first place and how memorable songs that mention them are. We are all becoming so lost in machines and screens that, in many ways, the telephone seems like an oddity. You can never be rid of the telephone and deny why we all still need them in our lives. Whereas more modern artists are talking about texts and modern distractions; many are keeping the telephone ringing and ensuring it does not get disconnected. I still love its (the telephone’s) romance and simplicity; how it has survived through the years and the ways it can really make an impact. That may make me sound old and slightly uncool but one cannot deny the importance and potency of…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

THE human voice.  

INTERVIEW: Melanie Taylor

INTERVIEW:

Melanie Taylor

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THANKS to Melanie Taylor…

for discussing her new single, Adderall, and its inspiration; what it was like filming the music video and whether there is more coming down the line – she recommends a rising artist that we need to get behind and watch closely.

I ask how which artists and albums have impacted her most and how she got into music; whether L.A. is important and influential regarding her writing; if there are gigs coming along and whether she has plans in place for 2019 – she ends the interview by selecting a '90s anthem.

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Hi, Melanie. How are you? How has your week been?

It’s been busy! I wear a lot of different hats and these days I’ve been changing them often and doing something all the time! I’m obviously an artist, but I also do shows for corporations’ parties and am starting my own record label! So, this week has been a lot about training our new interns. Plus, of course, my new music video’s release!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Hi. I’m Meanie Taylor; a Los Angeles based singer and songwriter. I would say I’m Indie-Pop with a soulful Rock edge a la the '90s because that’s what I grew up listening to. As a person, I guess I’m kind of a mix between the hippie stargazer, meditating with crystals and an urban city girl that likes to be surrounded by people. 

Adderall is your new song. How did that song come to you? What inspired it?

It honestly came out of a really bad fight I was having at the time with someone close to me. I wrote the verses and the pre-chorus all in a span of like ten mins when I was just trying to process my emotions and was like crying the whole time through it; it was cathartic for me. And then, when I brought the song to my co-writer (‘R8DIO’), he was like, “What if we made this song like a metaphor to taking Adderall?” and I was like, “That’s kind of bold, but also kind of perfect” - and that is how we got the chorus. In a broader sense, though, I wanted to express that when you hold onto emotions and don’t deal with them, you can end up hurting the people closest to you. 

The video is very striking! What was it like filming it? Who came up with the concept?

Thank you! I knew I wanted dancers to express the song, so I called a long-time friend and choreographer/artistic director, G Madison IV. He has worked with everyone and is on tour with Mariah Carey right now so needless to say he’s exceptionally talented. He took the idea of dance and just elevated it to this idea of me walking into an empty theatre where two dancers would be rehearsing and happen to be acting out the story of my life. He also really encouraged me to be as vulnerable visually as it is in the song, which I originally wasn’t going to do, but am really glad I went there. 

During the filming, the theatre’s A.C. was actually broken and it was extremely hot that day, so it speaks even more to the level of professionalism every one on set, especially the poor dancers, brought to the table! We also got really lucky with the projections; it was kind of an afterthought of images I found online and cut together that ended up being such a cool and needed element to the video!

Do you think there will be more material next year?

I will continue releasing a few more singles I’ve got up my sleeve and then possibly an E.P.!

In terms of other artists; who do you count as influences?

My favourite artist of all-time will always be Michael Jackson. I don’t think anyone can touch him in terms of stage performance and career longevity. I was also a huge Alanis Morissette fan and I think you can hear a lot of her influence in my more recent music. I also just grew up idolizing the kinds of singers who could really belt - Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. 

Can you recall when you got into music? How have your sounds changed since the early day?

I have always been singing; since before I could speak actually. I used to point at the radio and demand “lala”, which meant music to me, and then I would apparently sing incoherent lyrics with a big smile on my face. I was always doing choir and show-choir and then musical theatre growing up.   Once I moved to L.A., I had shifted my focus a little more towards acting at the time but I answered a casting call that looked interesting where a production team was looking for artists to promote in Europe and would pay for a single as well as a music video.

My story turned out a lot different, but that production team ended up being the people who brought you Friday by Rebecca Black! So, needless to say, I didn’t stay with them but they did actually help me get my start after giving me a really great music video and a song to start reaching out to other producers with. It was just a process of meeting the right people after that. I definitely used to have a much more straight Pop sound and started to find the more Indie, Electro-Pop with a '90s influence I have now during the making of my second album.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I am working on the acoustic version of Adderall right now, which will be out really soon. That’s really where the song started, so I thought there should be a version of how it was originally written out there as well that is a little more true to the emotion of the concept. 

Additionally, I’ll be doing a few more performances in the L.A. area before the end of the year and have a special Dance cut version of the video I’m waiting just a bit to release as well…but will definitely be out soon.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I have a release plan for a few new singles that I’m excited to release! And I’m also really looking forward to getting back in the studio and just continuing to create.  

How important is L.A. regarding your inspiration and vibe? Is it a great place to live?

It’s great for a lot of reasons. Obviously, the sunshine and the vast amount of talent and opportunity here is amazing. However, I’m not as attached to it as I used to be. I think, with the world of technology that we live in, I can kind be making music and promoting it from anywhere. I am extremely drawn to experiencing new cultures and places and that stimulus of travel is actually what inspires me most. So, that’s why I spent a month in Southeast Asia this past January and why it was so amazing to have the opportunity to tour in Australia this past summer!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I actually think this past summer’s tour has made it very high on my list. Not only because it was such a dream come true to be experiencing a country I had always wanted to go to, but because I overcame some blocks about performing I didn’t even know I had. For pretty much all of my shows I perform with a band and these shows in Australia required me to just have a D.J. or simply backing tracks, which means I’m on stage all alone - and the idea of that really scared me for some reason.

However, once I started getting into it, I found that it made me connect so much more to the audience than I ever had before and I actually felt freer and in control than any time I’ve performed with a band. I had some hilarious and amazing moments with the audiences in Australia I’ll never forget. Not to say I’m just going to ditch my band now, but it made me realize I was partly hiding behind them instead of doing all the things I did when they weren’t there. 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette; HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I – Michael Jackson; Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

Jagged Little Pill because of the storytelling her raw emotion expressed - which was just so refreshing and like noting I had ever experienced before as a kid. It was freeing and made me feel empowered. Even now, I listen and just applaud them for their songwriting skills.

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, I think is probably one of the world’s top-three albums, so I don’t even need to explain the genius that is Michael Jackson and his greatest hits. But, for me, I listened to that album probably twice a day for three or four years as a little kid; dancing around my living room as if I was right there with him. It just shows what an incredible range he had from fun and sexy songs like The Way You Make Me Feel, to one of the most powerful songs ever written, Earth Song.

And, Amy! I also listened to that album twice a day for a very, very long time. Obviously; she had something that no-one will ever be able to re-create but I definitely took a lot of notes on her vocalization.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Bishop Briggs. I think she’s an incredible artist and has been a huge influence for me in my current music.

 As for my rider; I don’t think I’d get too entitled until I really felt I earned it. Haha. But, I would definitely request there be like a dressing room with fresh veggies/hummus and tea…maybe some whiskey? (Smiles).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

To practice! Every day. I even have to remember to do this myself, but your voice is actually a muscle that needs to be strengthened like anything else. Cultivating stage presence, or even feeling comfortable on stage, doesn’t happen overnight; you need to work at it. Keep getting experience however and whenever you can.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I will be doing a show in L.A. on Nov 6th at State Social House to celebrate this music video release! For all other upcoming dates just check my website.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Donna Missal

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Well. Speaking of the artist I said I would want to open for (Bishop Briggs); the artist opening for her at the moment is named Donna Missal and is also an incredible talent I first heard about from a mutual producer we’ve both worked with. Her voice, songs; everything is awesome!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I have two corgis and they, and my boyfriend I guess, probably get the majority of my time when I’m not working on music! (Of course, they have an Instagram account because what kind of L.A. dog owner would I be if I didn’t give them one - and it’s @thunderboltcorgi if you want a daily dose of cuteness in your life!).

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that). 

Awesoome! My special request is most definitely 4 Non Blondes - What’s Up? I recently covered it at a show and it was so much fun. I feel like everyone can relate to that song, especially in the crazy times we’re living in!

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Follow Melanie Taylor

Official:

https://www.melanietaylorofficial.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MissMTMusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MelanieTaylorMusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/MelanieTaylorMusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MelanieTaylorMusic/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/melanietaylor-1

INTERVIEW: B Green

INTERVIEW:

B Green

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THE awesome B Green has been telling me about…

his new single, Christopher Columbus, and its interesting story. I ask him what comes next and which artists he is inspired by; a few albums that mean a lot to him and whether there are any plans to tour and come to the U.K.

The Atlanta-based artist tells me why the city draws people in; how he manages to chills away from music; which artist he’d support given the chance; the advice he would give to artists emerging – B Green ends the interview by selecting a Prince classic.

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Hi, B Green. How are you? How has your week been?

Good, no complaints. Focusing on promoting this record.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m B Green; a musician from Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) currently living in Atlanta, GA. I sing, rap; produce and play some instruments – I do a lot of things creatively. I just released a song, Christopher Columbus, and it’s getting a lot of positive feedback.

Christopher Columbus is your new single. What is the story behind it?

It’s me dismantling colonialism in a song. Taking Christopher Columbus, an icon of the West, to task for many of the atrocities carried out on his behalf and in his wake. It’s also a hard-hitting, Techno-savvy club song but hidden in the nuances and backstory are images that paint a very vivid picture.

I understand an album is coming. Can you reveal any themes and inspiration behind the songs?

I have an entire life’s worth of inspiration to draw from! Topics range from unrequited love, to being black in America; to the beauty of dreams, to being financially insecure - nothing is off limits. I like to write songs that are distinctly my own and ideally this album will be a representation of everything I have to offer as a creative.

As a Hip-Hop artist/M.C.; how important was Atlanta regarding your tastes and direction? What is the scene like there at the moment?

Atlanta is currently the epicentre for both Hip-Hop and Urban music’s consumption and creation. There’s no better place to be with regards to resources, competition; collaboration or any plethora of things. I love Atlanta because it’s unabashedly raw and African-Americans flock from across the country in attempts to grab a piece of the money that seems to be circling the city’s bubbling industries. It’s kept me on my toes and hungry because everybody seems to be only around the corner from the success they so desperately desire. I’m on the precipice and I like having Atlanta as a home base because it’s a big city but it’s slow and charming.

In terms of influences; which musicians did you grow up around?

I grew up listening to what my parents were listening to and that included a lot of old Soul classics like Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder; The Isley Brothers, Maze; Isaac Hayes and the likes. When I developed my own tastes, it was for guys with Pop sensibilities like Michael Jackson and Prince. I began playing the drums in church at eight-years-old and, as I grew older, I picked up the guitar out of admiration for guys like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. Writing poems was something I always did because I was an avid reader. Eventually, I decided to marry my poetry with my instruments and write some songs like my inspiration Bob Marley.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Christopher Columbus will surpass a million streams on Spotify, which will allow us to set up a festival run throughout spring and summer of 2019. We’ll take the popularity from the streams and the momentum from the tour to release the debut album, Go, in the second half of 2019.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Four years ago, I was working on a lion share of songs over the holiday weekend with a close friend of mine. We, unfortunately, couldn’t afford to travel home and be with our families for Thanksgiving so we decided to turn that energy into creative energy and worked through the holiday. We grabbed a pre-cooked turkey and some sides from the local grocery store and ate Thanksgiving dinner in the studio. We proclaimed that we would remember the day we had to eat holiday dinner in the studio because we didn’t have any money to travel home and no friends to visit.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill

It was the first album that blew my mind as a child and, when I returned to it as an adult, it blew my mind again just in a different manner. There aren’t many perfect artistic creations in existence; I think it’s one of the few.

Late Registration by Kanye West

Because that was the album (when I knew) that I was positive there was nothing else that I was going to do with my life other than make music. That album is perfect, to me. I was young and smart and black and angry and this album helped me navigate my way through a lot of my teenage days.

Finally; I’ll have to say Thriller – Michael Jackson

Not for the same reasons as everybody else! When I was a small child, maybe eight-years-old, I discovered a dusty dubbed tape in the basement simply labelled Thriller and, being a curious child, I took the tape, found a Walkman and popped it in. I probably listened to that tape three hours a day for the next few years of my life. It was a perfect album to me. I stumbled on it by happenstance – but I loved it by nature. I saw something in this album and in music that I identified with deeply enough to make recreating the feeling my life’s passion.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Probably Stevie Wonder because I could cut loose on the guitar while he got down on the piano - and he has a catalogue full of classics.

My rider would probably entail a couple cases of water and a tray with a bunch of tiny little sandwiches – they take riders off the top of your take-home pay!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Stay focused because the race never goes to the swift but to those who endure.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I’m piecing together a North American festival tour as we speak. I’ll be in the U.K. performing at a few festivals as well.

Might you come to the U.K. and perform?

I’m working on booking some festivals in the U.K. currently. So, you might see me there in the spring; fingers crossed.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Can I recommend myself?

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Honestly; I like to solo over loops that I made for hours on end to unwind. Granted, it’s music but it’s a different part of the musical appendage. It’s not creative per se; it’s more open-ended and freeing. Soloing is awesome because it’s like painting a canvas that you never quite cover – there’s always more to be added.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

I Would Die 4 U – Prince. One of my favourites

___________

Follow B Green

Official:

https://brysongreen.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BGreenGoGreen

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BGreenGoGreen/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bgreengogreen/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1250g52u11urhttCJRS6y1

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJnFHTYVbtXOdKCJP-1ITQ

FEATURE: The Greatest Year in Music History? 1967: Twelve Essential Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

The Greatest Year in Music History?

IN THIS PHOTO: Jimi Hendrix/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

1967: Twelve Essential Albums

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THERE is a lot of debate as to which musical year…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Who during their stop in San Francisco (during the Summer of Love) where they played two concerts at The Fillmore on 16th and 17th June, 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Marshall Photography LLC

is the absolute finest. I am drawn between 1994 and 1967. The former is one I loved through and can attest to the brilliance and incredible genius that came through. I will write another piece regarding 1994 and how we witnessed a rare and beautiful time for music. 1967 is a year that is no slouch regarding the music that came through! Look at the fantastic songs that emerged in that year. The Beatles brought us Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever and All You Need Is Love. Procol Harem released A Whiter Shade of Pale and we saw The Who’s I Can See for Miles and The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset.

That is just the tip of a giant iceberg and you can see how these artists inspired future generations. Of course; there was the Summer of Love (in 1967) and a time when people were using peace (and substances a bit stronger) to combat oppression, corruption and hatred. It must have been an exciting and colourful time and it is no surprise such eclectic and fantastic music came about. The effects and reverberation from 1967 and, in some ways, still being felt right now. I love the songs from that year - but it is the albums that hold the greatest weight. It is hard to narrow them down but I have selected twelve 1967-released records that demonstrate what an epic and wonderful year it was. Have a look through the selection and I am sure you will find many that are in your record collection. It is a genius-laden rundown that makes a great case regarding 1967 being…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jorma Kaukonen, Spencer Dryden and Grace Slick during a photoshoot in Golden Gate Park, May 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Marshall Photography LLC

THE finest year for music ever.  

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

______________

Nico – Chelsea Girl

Release Date: October 1967

Label: Verve Records

Review:

“Nico once admitted that she could not relate to the songs Reed wrote for her. “I can’t identify with that,” she said of “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” “to notice only the beautiful and not the ugliness.” Despite its melancholy, Chelsea Girl is still very much caught up in this world of the Screen Test, one focused on ineffable, alluring melancholy. To today’s casual Nico fans, she still exists in this bubble, a blonde monolith in a white pantsuit, a vessel for dreams and desires. But to consider Nico as frozen in her Chelsea Girl years is a disservice to the active efforts she made later in life to move beyond her image. But consider all of Nico, the strange circumstances of the Velvet Underground, the image of Chelsea Girl, and the horrific, inexcusable actions of her later life. It’s a wholeness she craved all along” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Little Sister

Captain Beefheart – Safe as Milk

Release Date: June 1967

Label: Buddah

Review:

“Beefheart's first proper studio album is a much more accessible, pop-inflected brand of blues-rock than the efforts that followed in the late '60s -- which isn't to say that it's exactly normal and straightforward. Featuring Ry Cooder on guitar, this is blues-rock gone slightly askew, with jagged, fractured rhythms, soulful, twisting vocals from Van Vliet, and more doo wop, soul, straight blues, and folk-rock influences than he would employ on his more avant-garde outings. "Zig Zag Wanderer," "Call on Me," and "Yellow Brick Road" are some of his most enduring and riff-driven songs, although there's plenty of weirdness on tracks like "Electricity" and "Abba Zaba." [Buddha's 1999 reissue of Safe as Milk contained restored artwork and seven bonus tracks.]” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Electricity

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Release Date: 26th May, 1967

Label: Parlophone (U.K.)/Capitol (U.S.)

Review:

“Some songs, such as Lovely Rita, When I’m 64, Good Morning, Good Morning, Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite and Harrison’s dour, droning Within You Without You, seem undernourished excuses on which to hang florid ideas. But the title track is an improbable scorcher, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds a glittering gem, Fixing a Hole and She’s Leaving Home lovely chamber pieces, and the concluding A Day in the Life one of the strangest and most beautiful recordings ever, an inner-space odyssey juxtaposing Lennon’s ethereal surrealism with McCartney’s prosaic energy and wrapping it all up in an apocalyptic orchestral climax” – The Telegraph  

Standout Track: A Day in the Life

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Release Date: 12th March, 1967

Label: Verve

Review:

“Lou Reed's lyrical exploration of drugs and kinky sex (then risky stuff in film and literature, let alone "teen music") always received the most press attention, but the music Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker played was as radical as the words they accompanied. The bracing discord of "European Son," the troubling beauty of "All Tomorrow's Parties," and the expressive dynamics of "Heroin" all remain as compelling as the day they were recorded. While the significance of Nico's contributions have been debated over the years, she meshes with the band's outlook in that she hardly sounds like a typical rock vocalist, and if Andy Warhol's presence as producer was primarily a matter of signing the checks, his notoriety allowed The Velvet Underground to record their material without compromise, which would have been impossible under most other circumstances. Few rock albums are as important as The Velvet Underground & Nico, and fewer still have lost so little of their power to surprise and intrigue more 50 years after first hitting the racks” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: Venus in Furs

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced

Release Date: 12th May, 1967

Label: Track

Review:

“Whilst some of the licks shot-blasted across the disc ape the twangy pop tones of the day, his solo on “Manic Depression” sounds like its being beamed in from another dimension altogether. “Red House” remains a dazzling blues exhibition that rightly made the jaws of London’s musical elite drop. It’s a sobering thought that when this originally came out in May 1967, the only other serious contender for the crown of guitar godhood, Cream’s Disraeli Gears, was still six months from being released.

The psychedelic flummeries added to an already rich recipe (the title track and “Third Stone From The Sun”) occasionally results in a kind of multi-coloured indigestion. Whilst such embroidery indelibly watermarks the album, it rarely detracts from the stand-out, casual brilliance that is so abundant. This is the sound of the future arriving; tacky, awkward, inspirational, exciting, perplexing and sometimes contradictory for sure, but the future nonetheless” – BBC

Standout Track: Purple Haze

Love – Forever Changes

Release Date: 1st November, 1967

Label: Elektra

Review:

“…Reality resumes on the aptly titled “Bummer in the Summer,” the album’s most straightforward (and weakest) track. It finds Lee doing a Dylan-esque sing-talk that sounds a lot like rapping to me. And speaking of rap, an alternate mix of the album’s closing suite, “You Set the Scene,” which can be found on both this and the 2001 edition of Forever Changes, includes some previously unheard lyrical freestyling (who said Debbie Harry was the first rocker to do hip-hop?). The 40th anniversary edition also includes alternate mixes of the rest of the album, songs from the band’s follow-up single “Your Mind and We Belong Together”/“Laughing Stock” (which didn’t fare any better than the album), and various previously unreleased material that neither adds nor detracts from what has rightfully become one of the most highly regarded and influential rock records of all time” – Slant    

Standout Track: A House Is Not a Motel

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Release Date: 4th August, 1967  

Label: EMI Columbia/Tower

Review:

“Few would criticize the merits of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn itself (as reflected in the rating above)-- it's an essential album. While so many other products of the Summer of Love were positive and unifying, Piper was fractured and scary. Songs like "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive" captured the sustained improvisational freakouts of the band's live shows, but did so in more concise form. Other songs, like "Lucifer Sam," "Bike", and "The Gnome", split the difference between quirky pop songs and explorations of the nightmarish found-sound fringe, setting a twisted template for countless acts to come. By 1980's The Wall, Pink Floyd had become sterile and solipsistic. At this auspicious start, Pink Floyd were thrilling. Anything was possible” – Pitchfork     

Standout Track: Interstellar Overdrive

The Doors – The Doors

Release Date: 4th January, 1967  

Label: Elektra

Review:

“"Light My Fire" was the cut that topped the charts and established the group as stars, but most of the rest of the album is just as impressive, including some of their best songs: the propulsive "Break on Through" (their first single), the beguiling mystery of "The Crystal Ship," the mysterious "End of the Night," "Take It as It Comes" (one of several tunes besides "Light My Fire" that also had hit potential), and the stomping rock of "Soul Kitchen" and "Twentieth Century Fox." The 11-minute Oedipal drama "The End" was the group at its most daring and, some would contend, overambitious. It was nonetheless a haunting cap to an album whose nonstop melodicism and dynamic tension would never be equaled by the group again, let alone bettered” – AllMusic      

Standout Track: The End

Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Release Date: 10th March, 1967  

Label: Atlantic

Review:

“…And do I even need to mention her voice" Well, here's an anecdote. Aretha famously burst into the Atlantic Records studios and told the Muscle Shoals session musicians, as a manner of introducing herself, 'Get your damn shoes on, you're getting someone who can REALLY sing.' The immediate reaction was one of jaded amusement - they'd heard it all before - and yawns. Then she sat at the piano and starting singing "Respect". They weren't jaded for long after that. The song was recorded with the crack rhythm section right there and then, and that take is the one you hear on this album. Tellingly, underneath the article I've quoted this anecdote from (Q's Top 100 Albums Ever, January 2003), there is a comment from one Sian North, via e-mail. "The greatest female singer ever - bar none!" Anyone care - nay, DARE - to disagree with that"

If nothing else I've said has hit you, then just wonder - how many soul albums are anywhere near as critically acclaimed as this is by both the rock critics and the soul community" This is vital listening if you want to understand the development of black vocal music. It's a landmark in every sense” – Sputnik Music       

Standout Track: Respect

The Who – The Who Sell Out

Release Date: 15th December, 1967   

Label: Track

Review:

“Still things didn’t run smoothly; that wasn’t The Who way. John Entwistle broke a finger punching a dressing-room wall; Keith Moon suffered a hernia; Roger Daltrey – required for the now-classic sleeve to sit for hours in a bath of baked beans – got pneumonia. And The Who’s recording sessions (unlike those of, say, The Beatles) were haphazard affairs, done here and there, all over the place. The mini-opera “Rael” (itself the blueprint for several parts of Tommy) had to be recorded twice, on two different continents, after the first lot of tapes were thrown into a dumpster by a studio cleaner. And the Track Records ad that finishes the second side was recorded over the phone, Moon and Entwistle crooning it from a nearby public bar. This definitive two-disc edition – crammed with try-outs, outtakes and discards, some of them brilliant (“Glittering Girl”, “Jaguar”) – perfectly and finally captures that creative chaos.

In the end, though, Townshend’s wonderful songs (“I Can See For Miles”, “Our Love Was”, “I Can’t Reach You”, “Relax” and the rest), and the band’s sheer exuberance, overcame all obstacles. The Who went on to make more important records (Live At Leeds, Tommy) and better records (Who’s Next, Quadrophenia). But, as this package joyously proves, they never made anything more entertaining or endearing” – Uncut        

Standout Track: I Can See for Miles

Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield Again

Release Date: 18th November, 1967

Label: Atco

Review:

“The album's lowest point however, follows the lonely and melancholic ballad Furay sings almost alone with his guitar ("Sad Memory"). "Good Time Boy" is sung by their drummer, Dewey Martin who is without a doubt a competent percussionist, but his imitation of soul on this track is both cruel to the lyrics and far from the creativity and high musical standard the rest of the album has. 

Neil's closing song on the album is an experimental song which includes changes from 4/4 measure to 3/4 and an illusion of changing melodies from verse to verse. His voice, Dewey's drums and Don Randi's piano steer the track from beginning to end accompanied by strange audio clips, and audiences cheering to several bizarre music acts including a Martin Sung "Mr. Soul" and an organ grinder. The song is called "Broken Arrow", with its lyrics deep in the Young universe, finding traces of the same story in other songs such as "The last Trip To Tulsa" and "Down By The River".

In short, the album's strengths are its classic rock and country songs, its catchy, blues and country inspired guitar interplay, and its great vocal arrangements both in backing ("Rock And Roll Woman") and harmony ("A Child's Claim to Fame"). Some of the most well-known Buffalo Springfield songs are included in this well-produced, well-made album and so it deserves the status of a classic: 5/5” – Sputnik Music         

Standout Track: Expecting to Fly                 

Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow

Release Date: 1st February, 1967

Label: RCA Victor

Review:

“Regardless, they did wonderful things with the music within that framework, and the only pity is that RCA didn't record for official release any of the group's shows from the same era, when this material made up the bulk of their repertory. That way the live versions, with the band's creativity unrestricted, could be compared and contrasted with the record. The songwriting was spread around between Marty Balin, Slick, Paul Kantner, and Jorma Kaukonen, and Slick and Balin (who never had a prettier song than "Today," which he'd actually written for Tony Bennett) shared the vocals; the whole album was resplendent in a happy balance of all of these creative elements, before excessive experimentation (musical and chemical) began affecting the band's ability to do a straightforward song. The group never made a better album, and few artists from the era ever did” – AllMusic          

Standout Track: White Rabbit

FEATURE: Britney Spears and a Mighty Debut Single …Baby One More Time at Twenty

FEATURE:

 

 

Britney Spears and a Mighty Debut Single

IN THIS IMAGE: The single cover for Britney Spears’ debut single, …Baby One More Time/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

…Baby One More Time at Twenty

__________

I recently produced a piece that…

IN THIS PHOTO: Britney Spears (circa 2018)/PHOTO CREDIT: Herb Ritts

asked whether Pop music is capable of producing anthems. By that, I do not mean a simple genre called ‘Pop’: I mean every genre that is popular and visible in the mainstream. It has been years since I have encountered a song that can live through the ages! Think about those tracks you recall to mind and provoke great memories and, for most of us, they are from many years back! I think of the Britpop anthems of the 1990s and stuff that was coming out around then. The way I see it; there was this glorious radius where the three or four years prior to 1994 were spectacular and building up that revolution and, from then until, say, 1998/1999, there was this further move that kept the quality high and embraced new sounds. The 1990s as a whole was a great time for music but it was especially brilliant when it came to those bold and memorable Pop tracks. From the best British bands through the U.S. girl groups and the fantastic Pop coming from the country – we were spoiled for choice and enjoyed a rich regency. One thinks of Pop music coming from teenagers now and you might cringe and think the resultant sound is good to be dreadful. To be honest; most of the best Pop music/mainstream stuff you find is from established artists or that which lacks commercial ambition.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Britney Spears in 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Storz

Think back to 1998 and, in terms of Pop anthems, one song stood out: ….Baby One More Time. The debut of the U.S. icon took everyone by surprise and sent shockwaves through music. I am not saying it was as bold as Punk or as seismic as Britpop but, as introductions go, it was one of the more impressive of the decade. I will talk about Britney Spears’ debut single and why it signalled the arrival of a rare talent but, before then, a bit of background on Spears and, indeed, the music that was around in 1998. In June 1997; Britney Spears was in talks with her manager Lou Pearlman about the possibility of joining the female Pop group Innosense (remember them?!). Lynne Spears, Britney’s mum, sent the entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph a tape of her daughter singing a karaoke version of Whitney Houston with some pictures attached.

IN THIS PHOTO: Britney Spears in 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Rudolph was impressed and felt, rightly, here was a potential star he wanted to send to labels. He wanted a professional demo, and so, the process began. Rudolph sent Spears an unused Toni Braxton song and she recorded her vocals. Spears travelled to New York to meet with four labels but, in the case of three of them, found the same problem: they wanted all-girl/all-boy bands who were in vogue at the time. They felt there was not going to be a 1990s version of Tiffany or Madonna. The 1990s would see other female solo artists become Pop icons – even though Madonna was very much active in 1998 – and they felt groups were the commercial dollar.

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Britney Spears’ album, …Baby One More Time/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

It would be understandable for an ambitious and excited Spears to feel rejected and downhearted after being rejected by three labels. The fact they outright disliked her vocals/song – it was merely a case of her being a solo artist – meant a pleasing call from JIVE Records changed everything. Senior A&R man Jeff Fenster stated Spears’ debut has pop, drive and determination. For someone of that age (she was sixteen at the time) to deliver something commercial but have a lot of emotion and nuance come through was a rarity. Spears was not delivering a song in that very pale and predictable way many Pop artists did. There was emotional range and you could tell she meant every word that was being sung – something that impressed Fenster a great deal. Fenster and the label were also not seeing Spears as this disposal and easy-to-label star many labels were trotting out. There was something personal and distinctly ‘Britney’ coming from that tape. After the label’s president Clive Calder ordered a full album, there was this whirlwind period where Spears met with producers and flied to Sweden. Spears saw herself, at aged sixteen, as a sort of Sheryl Crow-type artist but for a slightly younger audience. When at the studios in Stockholm, Sweden; Spears was shown a song that was originally written for Backstreet Boys and TLC.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Backstreet Boys in 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Spin

The fact they rejected the song led to Spears’ revelation: …Baby One More Time would sound wrong in the hands of the Backstreet Boys and is a little too ‘Pop’ for the savvy, feisty and unique TLC. Spears knew the song would be a hit and JIVE felt the same – it was the first step of her career and arguably, it is her crowning moment. Spears went on to record anthems like Oops!... I Did It Again (2000) and Toxic (2003) but many feel her debut song tops those. The single cover for …Baby One More Time showed this fresh-faced, slightly sullen teenager who was cute and, to be fair, almost child-like in her appearance. The video, as I shall explore, subverted all expectations and showed that, even at sixteen, Spears was no ordinary and modest star – she was pushing boundaries and getting people talking!

The album, …Baby One More Time, was released in January 1999 and, again, showed Spears as this rather cute and sweet teenager – although there is seductive and sexual edge to her smile/pose. Although there was another smash on the album (You Drive Me) Crazy; it seemed like the lead-off single was the definite high-point. This retrospective review, written in 2006, praised …Baby One More Time’s title cut but was dubious about the remainder of the record:

“...Baby One More Time is inexorably linked with image. It is challenging to listen to any of her songs without picturing the corresponding video, or her Rolling Stone cover, or her 2000 MTV Video Music Awards appearance, or her 2003 VMA kiss with Madonna. But Britney has adopted (or has had forced upon her, depending upon your interpretation) a series of contradicting images throughout her career, and especially during her ...Baby One More Time phase. She was being marketed as an icon of innocence alwhile being not-so-subtly promoted as a sexual being. She sang of sex and lust while championing her professed virginity in interviews. The cover of the very album at question features Spears in a wholesome getup with an angelic smile on her face - but her pose is hardly a marker of chastity with the focal point being quite inappropriate for 16-year old artist being sold to 12-year old girls…

 

With the exception of the terrific title track, ...Baby One More Time is a collection of either competent pop songs underwhelmingly executed or underwhelmingly written pop songs competently executed. Attractive pop gloss coats even the most absurd of the tracks, making them, at the very least, well recorded, produced, and arranged. But I can't picture Spears looking back on this album with any sense of pride or accomplishment. Is it any wonder that she won't be performing 'E-mail My Heart' or 'Soda Pop' on the next tour" They're downright embarrassing. But ...Baby One More Time is an interesting album in that it offers a marker for Spears' progression as an artist, as a celebrity, and as a woman”.

If Spears would find greater consistency and critical acclaim on her second and third albums; it is clear her debut single was a glorious moment for Pop that announced this rare and distinct personality. Max Martin wrote …Baby One More Time and, as his chart success and prolificacy shows; he seems to have this secret formula when it comes to penning a Pop gem. He wrote Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life and the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way; he has co-written/written songs like I Kissed a Girl (Katy Perry) and Blank Space (Taylor Swift). He is the songwriter with the third-most number-one (Billboard Hot 100) singles ever (twenty-two), behind John Lennon and Paul McCartney. As a producer, he has the second-most Hot 100 singles to his name (twenty) – behind the twenty-three of Beatles producer George Martin!

It seemed like Martin was the perfect man to help bring Britney Spears’ magic and marvel to the world. …Baby One More Time is a song in the key of C minor and has a 4/4 common time signature. With compositional elements similar to Robyn Carlssons’ Show Me Love – drum patterns, wah guitars and piano hits – it is a big and interesting song that unites brilliantly physical vocals with an evolving, changing and colourful composition. One of the reasons why Britney Spears’ debut single hits right away is because …Baby One More Time announced its presence instantly! There is no time for a build-up or any sort of mystery: you are right inside the track and it struts right out of the traps! The lyrics, I guess, are about longing and wanting to rekindle a relationship. The subject matter brilliantly complies with the history of Pop and themes relatable to a teenage audience (mainly girls) but does not do so in an ordinary and by-numbers way. It may have been written by Martin but you can believe every word is from the diary of Britney Spears. The ellipsis at the beginning of the song’s title follows the words “Hit me...” Maybe having that full title would provoke images of abuse, kinkiness or some kind of fetish – many people around the time felt the song was about sadomasochism or being hit!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Blur in the 1990s/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

In fact, as Spears stated, it was more about that emotional hit and rush of lust she had with this guy; the need to get that back and reignite her soul! It is clear Pop music was going through some changes towards the mid/late-1990s. We has seen the Britpop era end around 1997 and, to many, it felt like more American guitar music was taking over. There was this transition and no real gems in the market in terms of radio-friendly, mainstream songs. Spears started this revival that led to some brilliant Pop revelations. I will come to that but this cornerstone of the Pop market arrived in a year (1998) where the likes of Madonna and Lauryn Hill were reigning. The Queen of Pop (Madonna) was embracing a more electronic, moody and different sound to the one we were used to – in many ways, Spears was following in the footsteps of an early Madonna. Massive Attack (Mezzanine) and Beastie Boys (Hello Nasty) brought out these big and edgy albums whilst Hole’s Celebrity Skin kept the spirit of Grunge, Alternative-Rock and Alternative alive. It was an album that helped start a mini-revolution of its own and Dance music found a new gem in the form of Fatboy Slim’s You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby. Beck’s Mutations and Manic Street Preachers impressed with This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. Alanis Morissette’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was turning heads…

1999 saw brilliant albums from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eminem; Blur, The Chemical Brothers and Moby. Blink-182 and Mogwai were busy and, as you can see, the years when the single and album of the same name were released…it wasn’t as though Spears had a lot of like-minded company! Maybe it was this sudden spark that arrived in this harder-edge and less Pop-orientated market that catapulted …Baby One More Time to strange heights. Maybe the albums market was not primed for Britney Spears but there were great and accessible singles from Sheryl Crow (My Favourite Mistake), Barenaked Ladies (One Week) and Faith Hill (This Kiss) that meant Spears’ debut song was not such an oddity. Aside from a couple of confident and anthemic Pop numbers in the form of The Boy Is Mine (Monica ft. Brandy) and You Get What You Give (New Radicals); there was nothing similar to what Britney Spears was putting out. We had Garbage telling us to Push It and Madonna had her Ray of Light but there was no other young, female U.S. Popstar that was bringing something so intense, evocative and memorable to us! We would see great Pop solo artists come about and we left some behind but, in 1998, Spears seemed to be in a league of her own and just what the music market needed!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Britney Spears in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: @francesiacuzzi

I will end by looking at its legacy and how its video helped augment the song’s brilliance but this great article from the Independent caught my eye. Celebrating twenty years of …Baby One More Time; writer Lucy Jones reflects on the song’s wonder and layers:  

“Listen to it 20 years later and it’s still a startling, catchy pop song (although the optics of the video are more obviously problematic). But what actually, apart from a heady dose of personal nostalgia if you grew up in the Nineties, makes the song so good? First off, two words: Max Martin.

The songwriter’s musical background was eclectic. He grew up in a small island off the coast of Sweden listening to Elton John, Queen, Vivaldi, Mozart, Depeche Mode and the Bangles. He learnt how to read and write music thanks to a public music-education programme, and formed a glam-rock band called It’s Alive. Their albums bombed, but you can hear in the songs Martin’s acute understanding of pop, and his ability to use a voice to communicate emotion. He also landed a record deal with the late, legendary Swedish songwriter and producer Denniz PoP on Cheiron, who hired him and nurtured his songwriting talent. He started writing for Backstreet Boys, Westlife and Robyn. But “...Baby One More Time” was the first major commercial hit for the multimillionaire songwriting powerhouse...

IN THIS PHOTO: A shot from the video for …One More Time/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Nigel Dick

“The beat’s straightforward, four-on-the-floor rhythm with punchy, crashy backbeat kick and compressed snare drums is typical of early Max Martin. The dynamics are simple and solid. The “bridge” is more repetition of what we’ve heard before rather than a middle eight of completely different harmonic structure. The bottom drops out of the music and Britney’s voice is accompanied by a simple piano before the song crescendos into a maximalist: “I must confess! That my loneliness! Is killing me now!”

He’s also talked about changing the energy of the first, second and third chorus of a song. “It’s all about getting the listener to keep his or her concentration.”

Of course, it’s not just about Martin. Britney’s “baby voice”, which is different to her natural voice, is signature and instantly recognisable from the first “Oh baby baby”. According to Martin, she had a “good sense of catching the melody, performing it, taking it to another level. That’s what you’re looking for as a songwriter.” She is often adept at communicating the emotional content of a song”.

There are some songs that succeed and have a disappointing video or those that can be elevated by a great promotional clip but, in the case of …Baby One More Time; the incredible song and its eye-catching video were pretty evenly-matched. Nigel Dick directed the video – the British director has directed over five-hundred, including Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? – and that gained some flak from his peers. The original idea was to have Spears in a T-shirt and jeans but that got changed to a schoolgirl uniform.

One can only imagine the sort of reception someone like Dick would get if he were to pitch this video today and the idea of having a teenager playfully strutting in a school uniform and, to be fair, coming across as sexual and uninhibited…it would raise eyebrows at the very least! A lot of parents showed disapproval and felt Spears was a bad role model. They felt a teenage girl should not show her midriff and others felt she was being objectified. Teenage boys were hooked whilst teenage girls found this bold and relatable artist who gave them confidence and, through her music, compelled them. Say what you want about Britney Spears and the bored Catholic girl suddenly coming alive and rebelling – it is considered one of her most iconic videos/looks and, against a music backdrop that was glorifying girl and boybands; Spears was standing alone as this new and unique teenage Pop idol that was not just a commercial puppet and singing predictable, routine songs! …Baby One More Time has been covered by the likes of Travis and The Dresden Dolls and was listed (by Rolling Stone and MTV in 2000) as one of the twenty-five best Pop songs since 1963. VH1 ranked it as the second-best tracks of the 1990s and many ranked the video as one of the finest of the decade! The single sold over nine-million copies and remains one of the best-selling of all-time.

Right away, even with some weak albums on her debut album, Spears became a phenomenon and was seen as one of the most risqué, edgy and controversial female stars of the time. The drive of post-millennial teen Pop music was spearheaded (no pun intended!) by her and this was no fluke. Spears was not new to the industry when her debut single broke – she has worked as a Mouseketeer and was a well-known actor/singer – and Spears created the same kind of storm as Nirvana and Dr. Dre. MTV and the widespread airing of the music video ensured …Baby One More Time went down in history and Spears, like Madonna in a way, was seen as this figure who was a cross between child-friendly and sweet and this male fantasy – someone who was sexually desirable (despite the fact she was a teenager at the time!) but completely commanding and confident. Maybe songs like Toxic and You Drive Me Crazy are slightly stronger in some ways; …Baby One More Time arrived in the perfect place and time. If it were introduced today, I feel it would be a big hit but many might saw they were similar artists around and it was not as that uncommon. Music has seen the death of Grunge and Britpop and the sort of albums that were arriving in 1998 were very different to what Britney Spears was about.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Britney Spears backstage before her concert on the on the Oops!… I Did It Again Tour in Philadelphia on 7th July, 2000/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

With very few young Pop singers/bands about - aside from the likes of Backstreet Boys and TLC – I am not shocked …Baby One More Time made such an impact and opened up new horizons. We are all familiar with how Britney Spears developed and where her career would go – even now, twenty years later, she is still making music and is in the U.K. very soon. She has released some great singles/albums but none that have gained the same acclaim and interest as her debut offering. Spears helped bring about a new Pop wave and inspire many; it was this brilliant and eye-opening song that hit you and stayed in the head and, twenty years down the road, still evokes fond memories and compels you to sing alone (or at least mime!). I was still in high-school when the song was released (I am only a couple of years younger than Spears) and it was big news in the playground. A lot of my school peers were listening to whatever was in the charts or something like Five. Ace of Base were around and Moloko and Kid Rock appealed the ‘cooler’ kids. In the weeks before Britney Spears debut single; album releases from The Cardigans (Grand Turismo came out 1st October (1998) and Queens of the Stone Age (their eponymous record was out on 6th October).

It’s hard to put into words what today means to me… 20 years ago, the world heard my music for the very first time! So much has happened since then… but what I really want to say is thank you to my amazing fans who have been there for me since day 1... pic.twitter.com/oeMipXCSl9

— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) October 23, 2018

They sort of summed up what music was about until that point and aside from some fairly similar Pop acts – I think B*Witched were popular in 1998 – it was a very different music scene and one that was not quite prepared for Britney Spears. Some fairly accessible Pop from Cher, Billie and New Radicals sort of gave us a soft landing but, to be honest, Spears outgunned, outstripped and overtook them all. …Baby One More Time turned heads and opened eyes back in 1998 and, twenty years (and a day) after it was unreleased; have we seen a more impactful and instant Pop song? Surely there has not been a finer debut and I feel modern mainstream music could benefit from another Britney Spears.  I know Spears herself is proud of the song – a recent Tweet saw her mark the twentieth anniversary of the track – and I am sure she would be one of the first to say she has not really been able to better …Baby One More Time. It was a rare and brilliant song that came from nowhere and, even this many years on, is seen as one of the…

 IMAGE CREDIT: @britneyspears/Getty Images

FINEST Pop songs ever.  

INTERVIEW: The High Loves

INTERVIEW:

The High Loves

___________

I have enjoyed speaking with The High Loves…

about the new single, Serotonin, and whether they have plans for new material in 2019. I discover how the Canadian band found one another and what sort of music they are influenced by- the members each choose a song to end the interview with.

I learn where the band will head on tour and which musical memory stands in the mind proudest; the artist they’d support given the chance; what advice they’d give to musicians emerging right now – they highlight some new artists worth getting behind.

__________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Our week has been really great! The release of Serotonin was well received and we are excited to get the ball rolling on the next steps!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are The High Loves! An Indie-Rock band from Toronto, ON (in Canada). We have been playing together since October 2017 and, since then; we have been playing in some of the biggest bar venues in the city (The Horseshoe Tavern, Lee’s Palace; Rivoli). We released our first single, Perils of Passion, in January 2018 and, since then; we’ve been working on an E.P. that we will be releasing in November.

Serotonin is your new song. What is the story behind it?

Serotonin was the first song Noah wrote for this new project. He was at a low point in his life and working through the song helped him get his energy back. It was a beginning point for the band and it seemed fitting to release it as the first single.

I understand an E.P. is coming? Can you explain what themes and stories inspired the song?

All of the songs are written by Noah Monkton, the lead singer of The High Loves. So, all of the tunes are from his personal experiences with many various emotions. The upcoming E.P. is a reflection of his past year! From start to finish, this record follows a story-line of love, chaos, and reflection.

How did The High Loves come together?

Noah Monkton and Matt Bawtinheimer are both from Victoria, BC and they’ve been playing together for a while. Matt Bawtinheimer moved to Toronto to study at Humber College (in Music) and Noah followed shortly after. After a year of study, Monkton wanted to start a project and took some time off to work on The High Loves. He asked Matt Bawtinheimer and Marko Stojanovic, a fellow Humber College music student, to join his group. Looking for a drummer, they asked a friend for ideas and eventually found Mat D. Landry as their fourth member.

From there; we started rehearsing for our first show at The Supermarket in Toronto. We’ve been at it since then!

Which artists did you all grow up around? Do you have any personal musical idols?

We all come from very different musical backgrounds! We listened to The Beatles, The Strokes; a bunch of Jazz, Funk; Rock, Folk. We have been fortunate enough to have grown up in very musical families. Oh! And! Coming from a French background and family, Mat D. Landry listened to a bunch of weird French music (haha)!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

We hope to achieve a great E.P. release! Meaning, we want to get to get the most amount of contacts and opportunities to succeed in the long-run! We also hope to get together as a group to write a new record for a potential 2019 release. We are very happy with the opportunities that we’ve had so far and can only hope to grow exponentially from here!

In that same vein; do you have plans for 2019 in terms of what you want to accomplish?

Yeah! We’d love to play with ‘bigger and better’ bands in the scene, draw a larger crowd; play festivals in the GTA and further, write a record; make contacts…everything that we can realistically do in 2019 that could help us get where we’d like to be.

Have you all got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

As a band, we’ve had some pretty great memories so far! I’d say one of our favourite ones could be our first show at The Horse Shoe Tavern on Queen St. Getting the chance to play at one of the most historic venues in Toronto, and even Canada, is a great opportunity. Especially, as our third show!

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Noah Monkton: I would say Is This It by The Strokes

Because it changed my life! (haha). But, seriously, the lyricism, musicianship and songwriting of the record really connected with me at the time. And the attitude! So much of that raw energy that we’re always looking for!

Matt Bawtinheimer: Probably Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon

I must have listened to that record a thousand times during my younger years, and it really got me inspired to learn about music and especially the possibilities of using the studio as an artform as opposed to just documenting what was naturally created.

Marko Stojanovic: John Mayer's Continuum

It is definitely up there. Great songwriting, great musicians; amazing guitar work and solid production.

Mat D. Landry: The one album that means the most to me would be Revolver by The Beatles

This innovative album truly had an effect on the music of that time and the next major music era of Psychedelic and Experimental music. Amongst many of the great tracks on the record, I’m Only Sleeping is THE ONE for me. The Folk signing of John’s voice, the harmonic brilliancy of the group and the experimental, backward guitar tracks are just some of the key points of this song.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I think a legend like Paul McCartney would be a fair choice! He still has a great show and such a presence on stage. We’d let Sir Paul choose whatever rider he wanted if we had the chance to support him.

Can we see you on the road this year at all?

We’re still going to be concentrating our time in Toronto as there is still so much ground to cover here! But, that being said; we’d love to play wherever we can. We had previously talked about a road trip/tour to the West Coast (where Noah and Matt B. are from). With the upcoming festival applications, we’ll see where we end up!

PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Letnik

Might you come to the U.K. and play?

We’d love to if we got the chance! With the interest from many blogs and musical professionals in the U.K., a couple shows could be a possibility in the future.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Play as much as you can! Rehearsals with your band mates are the most important thing you can do to get attention when you’re playing live in front of an audience! Being musically tight and on the same page is key to success. Even just a band hangout is great if you want to get together and talk about your next steps as a group.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There’s some great innovative bands in Canada that are killing it right now! Among some of the many are: Lovers Touch, Pomes; Telecolor, Akeem Oh; FET.NAT, Moscow Apartment; Ferraro, MCLEAN and The Bandicoots.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Akeem Oh/PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Adler

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

The High Loves are busy but we still have some downtime. We love to hang out as band, grab a drink and some pizza; play video games. We also love to go see shows! In a city as rich in culture as Toronto, there’s always something going on at the local venues.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Sun Leads Me On by Half Moon Run

Winter Crush by Akeem Oh

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer

Soma by The Strokes

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Follow The High Loves

Official:

http://thehighloves.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thehighloves/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thehighloves/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-641077429

INTERVIEW: CHILDCARE

INTERVIEW:

CHILDCARE

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THANKS to Ed from CHILDCARE…

for telling me about the band’s latest cut, Man Down (King Kong Shake), and how it came together. I ask how the band got together and what is coming up; he highlights an album that means a lot to him and reveals whether there are gigs coming up for CHILDCARE.

Ed lets me into the band’s world and what makes them tick; whether he gets any chance to unwind away from music and what advice he would give to artists coming through – he recommends some rising musicians whilst the band each pick a song to end the interview with.

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How are you? How has your week been? 

Hello Music Musings and Such. I'm very well thanks. We've just come off a twelve-date tour so it's nice to be back home after a very fun few weeks, but there's loads to be getting on with; my to do-list is on thirteen items.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please? 

So. We are CHILDCARE and writing to you today is Ed Cares (vocals, gesturing). Also in the band are Emma Topolski on bass, Rich Le Gate on guitar and Glyn Daniels on drums.

Man Down (King Kong Shake) is your new single. Can you reveal how it came together and what its story is? 

The song's a lightish-hearted take on the whole male mental-health thing. I think I wrote most of it last Christmas at my parents' house on the piano, then it's taken quite a while and lots of work to get it to where it is now. The drum machine was a bit of an accident - we weren't going to have any drums and the producer just put them on to keep us on time when we were recording. The message is be vulnerable, be weak: it's ok to moisturise your knuckles if they get dry.

It is from your upcoming album. Is it possible to reveal any themes or song titles we might expect? 

The album will be a mix of songs we've put out and some new ones. It's gonna be a Softcore-Psych sort of vibe; Pop tunes but with some unusual arrangements, interludes and spoken word bits.

How did CHILDCARE find one another? Was it an instant bond? 

Well. Emma I met at a party. Glyn I met on a mini golf course and Rich I knew a bit from music. So, we weren't mates before the band started but we've become very close. We have a WhatsApp group and everyone will be getting a message on Christmas day.

You have been lauded by the likes of Annie Mac. What is it like getting support from someone like her?!

Yeah; it's cool to get played on the radio and we've respected Annie for a long time. She's always played good tunes.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018? 

Our debut album should be all wrapped up and I want to be able to bench-press one-hundred-and-sixty.

In that same vein; do you have plans for 2019 in terms of what you want to accomplish? 

Get the album out, tour the album; do loads of festivals and get started on album number-two. Bench-press one-hundred-and-sixty-five.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind? 

Well. We had a really fun gig at Omeara last week, which was our biggest headline show to date. That was v. cool. That, or listening to A Change Is Going to Come by Baby Huey & the Babysitters on mushrooms in July 2017.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)? 

I can't get hold of the guys right now cos I'm up early-ish, so I'm just going to pick mine - most albums by Radiohead are basically my favourites. They make me feel sick. I know Rich would pick a Pixies or Elliott Smith album. 

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail? 

I guess, after my last answer, let's say Radiohead - with Pixies as main support and us on first. We'd like a bath of Aperol Spritz on our rider.

Can we see you on the road this year at all? 

We've got two more gigs: Wed, 14th November at Two Tribes Brewing in London and Fri, 16th November at Band on the Wall in Manchester.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through? 

Stay away from heroin. I speak from experience. I've seen a lot of people struggle with it in music documentaries. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lazy Days/PHOTO CREDIT: Ellie Crewes

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Lazy Day; Greatest Hits.

Do you all get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind? 

I enjoy table tennis and cooking.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that). 

Tirzah - Make It Up

Baby Huey & the Baby Sitters - A Change Is Going to Come

Baxter Dury - Miami

Busta Rhymes/Q-Tip/Kanye West/Lil Wayne - Thank You

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Follow CHILDCARE

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CHILDCAREBAND/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/childcareband

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/childcareband/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/childcare